Memories
by ai-chan97
Summary: He was the reason she smiled again. He was the reason she learned to look at life a better way. He was the reason she changed..and ironically he was the reason she cried. My first fanfic..Please R & R.
1. First Day Part 1

**A.N: Hey! ^_^ This is my first fanfic. After reading atleast a 60 - 90 fanfics I finally decided to write one (sweatdrop). The summary really sucks..but I got nothin' else.-_- Please read and review. I know this chapter isn't much but if I get atleast 1 review I'd be really motivated to write my next chap. ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis....and I never will..:)**

**Bold **- Loud noise

'_Quote_' - Thought

"Talk" - Speech

-_**insert**_- - Umm *_*?…insert something

"_Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." _

**Memories**

Chapter 1: First Day

_Her big emerald eyes were blurry and small pink yukata was a bit dusty, as she stood next to a large sakura tree and watched people as they walked by not seeing her standing there all alone._

"_Okaa-san……Otou-san…"_

_Suddenly someone poked her from behind. She turned around to see a red haired boy, a little shorter than her. His dark blue eyes looked almost like a cat's. "Are you okay?" he asked. She blinked and said, "I -__**sob**__- can't find m-my -__**sob**__- okaa-san -__**sob**__- and o-otou-san." He beamed and took hold of her hand. "Don't worry, I'll help you find them.", he said. Her face brightened and she gripped his hand tighter, she beamed as she said, "Arigatou ne……ano…"_

"_My name is Eiji."_

"_Hajimemashite Eiji-kun!"_

**RRINNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

"Argh!"

She grumbled as she turned off her alarm. '_That dream again…Every time I'm back here…_' she thought, '_Stupid alarm._' This day was guaranteed to be plain horrible, with a capital H!

"Ayane..honey, hurry up, you don't want to be late for your first day!" a voice called from downstairs. "I hate first day of school!"

**Soo.....Please tell me what you think! :(.. **


	2. First Day Part 2

****

Well here's the second chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. **

"Talk"- Speech

_Talk _– Stress on

"_You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." – Albert Camus _

**Memories**

Chapter 2: First Day Part II

**Ayane's POV**

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was studying my new school uniform. It was kinda cute. I sighed as I brushed my wavy red hair which hung till my waist. Since I wasn't in the mood to tie it into my "lucky" style, I simply tied it into a ponytail. I brushed my fringe (1) once more and looked at myself one more time before I picked up my bag and went downstairs to get breakfast.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Oh great! I was doomed. First day of school and I'm gonna be late. Why, you ask? Because I was lost! I did live in Japan till I was seven but back then I never really paid attention to the road. Later on I used to come to this neighbourhood occasionally to visit my obaa-chan ,so I figured that I'd be able to find my way to school myself. Apparently I was wrong…..Ok, fine, so I don't have a good sense of direction. Jeez. What now?

As I stood there wondering what I should do, I saw a guy straight ahead, he was in his school uniform and he had a tennis bag slung over his shoulders which read "FUJI.S _SEIGAKU_" Seigaku….Seishun Gakuen, that's it! Yes….Arigatou Kami-sama! I ran up to him and patted him on the shoulder. He turned around to look at me, scratch that, could he even see me? His eyes were closed. Weird.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Oh! Stupid me. I was gaping at him, kinda. But to my defence, this guy was really cute, although he did look kinda like a girl. I was flushed a little as I replied to him, "Ano… could you tell me how to get to Seishun Gakuen? I got lost….. It's my first day so…." I must have sounded like an idiot. Oh man. He smiled at me and said, "Sure, I'm on my way there." Yes! My first problem of the day was solved. Phew. I bowed and said thank you before he walked on and I followed him.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

My shoulders were slumped in dejection as I walked through the halls trying to find my class. I looked at the paper in my hand, which the office clerk had given me, "Class 3-B".

Why-o-Why did I have to be so lousy at directions?! I climbed another flight of stairs and I walked down the hallway. "3-D, 3-C…." I mumbled to myself. 3-B. Yosh! I found it.

I took a deep breathe and then knocked on the door. Murmuring erupted inside and I heard a stern male voice telling them to keep quiet. The door opened to reveal a man in his late thirties. He smiled as he asked, "Shizuno-san?" "Hai."

He stood before the class and said, "Ok, everyone! We have a new student this year in our class." He turned around to look at me and said, "Please introduce yourself Shizuno-san." I walked up front and said, "Konnichiwa! My name is Shizuno Ayane. I was living in the U.S..." I looked around the class and I spotted a familiar face. It was that guy from earlier, um…um….Oh Shoot! I never asked his name. Suddenly my eyes landed on the guy sitting next to him. My throat dried up and I couldn't find my voice. I couldn't breathe and my hands were cold. Time ticked on...

"Shizuno-san?"

My sensei's voice echoed in my head and I snapped back to reality. Oh God! Everyone, well..almost everyone, was giving me the "great-another-weird-new-student" look. "G-gomen", I stuttered out. I continued my introduction. "I used to visit Japan occasionally..umm…..Please take care of me!" and I bowed. Hiroshi sensei told me to take a seat by the window in front of "Fuji-kun". So that was his name. I sighed as I took my seat. Hiroshi sensei went on about rules and blah...blah...blah. I sighed. I was wrong, first days were horrible _and disastrous_!

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(1)- also referred to as bangs.

**Japanese Terms**

Arigatou – Thank You

Obaa-chan – Grandmother

Sensei – Teacher

Konnichiwa – Hello

Gomen – Sorry

Kami-sama – Japanese reference to God

Gakuen – School

**Please Read and Review! T.T…**


	3. Meetings

**Hi! Here's the next chapter…but before that…**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH! to:**

**Narunette**

**OptimisticMuffins **

**Unknown Variable**

**For keeping my story on Story Alert…that means a lot to me….T.T….in fact that's why I'm typing this chapter…^_^**

**Now I know that someone has read my story so without further ado….**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoT…**

"Talk"- Speech

'_Think_'- Thoughts

_Italics -_ Past

"_Friends are like stars, although you can't see them sometimes, they are always there."_

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_**Dedicated to:**_

_**Narunette**_

_**OptimisticMuffins **_

_**Unknown Variable**_

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Chapter 3: Meetings

'_10 more minutes to lunch……and then freedom!'_

After Hiroshi sensei had left the class, the students had begun murmuring and most of them were talking about Ayane…and she knew it. _'Some first impression I made…'_ she thought as she walked down the hall to find her class for second period. _'This day just gets worse and worse with every passing minute…'_ She sighed. She turned around as she felt someone tapping her.

"Hi! My name is Minami Chiako." Ayane saw a girl with brown hair that reached just after her shoulder. Her brown eyes twinkled with every word she said.

Ayane smiled and replied, "Hi!"

Chiako said, "You seem kinda lost…. which class do you have now?"

Ayane said, "I have History." "Great! I have History too! We can go together." Chiako beamed. Chiako and Ayane went downstairs and turned a corner. Right there was a brunette and a red head conversing.

The red head cried, "Nya! Fujiko, you're taste buds are dysfunctional. That's what! Yuk! That so-called "juice" just gets more disgusting every day. Inui's out to kill us!" The brunette just chuckled. Chiako suddenly walked up to the red head. "Hey, Eiji-kun!"

The said boy looked at Chiako and said, "Nya! Hi Chiako-chan!" "Had to drink it all up again, huh?" she asked, smirking. Eiji pouted, "You just don't know how that THING tastes! Nya!" Chiako giggled. "Ohayou! Fuji-kun."

Fuji said, "Ohayou, Chiako-san." Just then he noticed Ayane standing there behind Chiako, staring at Eiji. "Hi. Nice to see you again, Shizuno-san.", he said. Fuji's voice brought Ayane out of her trance and she blinked at Fuji. "Oh!", she said , suddenly realizing that she'd been staring . "Umm...hi, Fuji-san! Gomen….I was in a hurry to get to the office that's why I forgot to ask your name..." Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. Fuji said, "That's alright."

Chiako blinked. "You guys know each other?" she asked. "Oh…Fuji-san helped me find my way to school. I uhh…got lost..." Ayane said sheepishly. "I see...well, you already know Fuji-kun so that leaves-" She was cut off by Eiji who took hold of Ayane's hands and shook them up and down as he said, "Nya! My name is Kikumaru Eiji. Eiji is fine though. Nice to meet you Aya-chan." Ayane stared at Eiji a little before stuttering out, "Uh...It's n-nice to meet you too E-eiji-kun." "Okay! Now that introductions are over let's get into class before Matsura-sensei gets here. See ya later, Fuji-kun.", said Chiako as she grabbed Ayane and Eiji and dragged them into class. _'Interesting…'_ thought Fuji as watched Ayane settle down in a seat next to Chiako.

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**Second Period**

Matsura sensei went on and on about the Ito Period. Ayane listened groggily and rested her head on the palm of her hand. Her eyes darted to the red head sitting two seats away. _'He called me "Aya-chan". Does he remember me? Maybe he's pretending not to remember be. No……no way. He's forgotten. It's been years.'_ Ayane gave a bitter smile.

_FLASHBACK_

_"Nya! My name is Kikumaru Eiji. Eiji is fine though. Nice to meet you Aya-chan."_

_"Uh...It's n-nice to meet you too E-eiji-kun."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

_'Almost like the first time we met…' _The sound of the bell brought her out of her thoughts. As Matsura-sensei went out he said, "Revise everything I taught today. I'll ask questions tomorrow." Everyone groaned as they got out of class. Chiako approached Ayane, "A few more minutes into that lecture and I would've pounced on him! Urgh! He loves torturing us…Now I'll have to study the whole thing! One of these I'm gonna get him!", said Chiako as she clutched her throat.

Ayane smiled at her friend's antics. Chiako suddenly stopped in her tracks. Ayane looked back at her. "Chiako-chan? What's wrong?" she inquired. "Oh...should we wait for Eiji-kun?" she asked. Chiako shook her head and replied, "Oh! It's nothing. I thought I'd forgotten something. Come on we'll be late." With that she took Ayane's hand and ran down the hallway.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Present**

Ayane sighed as her English teacher, Yamada Aiko, wrote exercises on the board and called students to come and do them. _'First class without Chiako-chan and I'm already dying!...' _She sighed again. "Shizuno-san, can you please come and write the answer for question eight on the board?" Yamada sensei asked.

Ayane looked at the question and grinned. _'Too easy.'_ She quickly wrote down the answer and returned to her seat. Everyone gaped at her as she walked back. The only other person in class who was that good was Fuji. Yamada sensei smiled and said, "Well done, Shizuno-san." _'Score one for New-Girl!'_ Ayane thought as she giggled to herself. _'English has officially become my favourite period.'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Nya! Aya-chan, you're so good at English!" exclaimed Eiji as he, Fuji and Ayane walked to the cafeteria. Ayane said, "It's really no big deal. I'm from America, remember."

"Hey guys!" Ayane turned back to see Chiako catching up. "Hey", she said. "Ne…Chiako-chan, can I ask you a favour?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Roof Tops, Seigaku**

"Thanks for bringing me here, Chiako-chan."

"No problem. Besides, Eiji-kun and Fuji-kun were going to sit with the other regulars anyway." she said.

"Regulars?" asked Ayane.

"Oh! Yeah…That's right. They're our tennis team. They're amazing! You should see them play. Eek! I just sounded like those crazy fan girls that flock around the courts during practise." Ayane giggled.

"Oh yeah! That reminds me.", said Chiako, "Ayane-chan, you have to choose which after-school activity you wanna do. I can come with you to fill the forms."

"Arigatou ne, Chiako-chan."

"Ittadakimasu!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Do you draw a lot, Ayane-chan?" "Well…if you put it that way. No, I guess. I just like drawing. I like to spent time doing art, so I thought I'd give it a shot.", said Ayane. "So what's your after-school activity?" she asked.

"Oh...I'm in the Music Club. I play the violin." said Chiako.

"Wow! That's amazing." exclaimed Ayane.

"It's nothing really. I'm still learning." said Chiako, "I don't have to go for music practise today. So do you wanna go check out the regulars?" asked Chiako with a wink. "Sure."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Tennis Courts, Seigaku**

"KYAA! Goooo, Fuji-sama!"

"You're the best, Eiji-kun!"

"Tezuka-sama!...KYA….." –crash-

"Oishi-san…"

Ayane blinked. Chiako smirked, "So...what do you think about those cheer leaders?" she asked.

"They're very…..um….enthusiastic?" Ayane replied. "By the way, what happened to those girls?" she asked. Chiako glanced at them. "Oh…Tezuka fan girls. They always faint right after, TEZUKA-SAMA and KYA…."

"I see…" Ayane sweat dropped. She faced the courts again and watched Eiji rallying with…

"Ano…who's that, the one playing with Eiji-kun?" she asked.

"Oh! That's Oishi Syuichiroh. He's the fuku buchou." Chiako replied. "The cute guy with the glasses is Tezuka Kunimitsu. He's the buchou."

"Hey there's Fuji-kun.", said Ayane.

"Looking for your knight-in-shining-armour are you?" Chiako teased. "Well there we go. Another addition to Fuji-kun's ever growing fan club." She added with a dramatic sigh.

Ayane playfully punched Chiako who was snickering now. "Ne, Chiako-chan, Arigatou…for everything.", said Ayane. Chiako smiled. "Hey…What are friends for?"

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Ayane let out a sigh. _'Finally…back home in one piece. First day of school over and out!'_ She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. _'Well, this year will be interesting. It sure is full of surprises. Eiji…'_ Her breathing became shallow as she drifted off to sleep.

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Japanese Words

Arigatou - Thank You

Ittadakimasu - Japanese usually say it before they eat, it's kind of like "Thank you for the food!"

**Phew! Done. This chapter is loooong. Please read and review! :)**

Dedicated to:


	4. Hairdo

**Fourth chapter up! I've been motivated to write this because of my first reviewer.**

**Thank you so much! **

**Here it goes…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pot… (pouts)...Takeshi-san does.**

"_A smile starts on the lips, A grin spreads to the eyes, A chuckle comes from the belly; But a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows and bubbles all around."-Carolyn Birmingham_

Chapter 4:Hairdo

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_Dedicated to:_

_Twinklejade-chan_

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Shizuno Ayaka chuckled as she watched her daughter play with her hair in front of the mirror. Ayane let out a frustrated sigh. "At this rate I'll never make it on time, and considering my wonderful sense of direction….of course, I'm dead!" She groaned yet again. "'kaa-chan, can't you just help me out here?" she pleaded. Ayaka laughed lightly. "It looks fine anyway you wear it, honey."

"You're not helping." said Ayane narrowing her eyes at her mother. "Well…then, you can go with your 'lucky' style, seeing as this is your first time shopping with Chiako-chan."

Ayane considered it. Maybe. No. Yes. No. _'What if it looks silly on me now? No…it isn't…but…'_ "Aah! This in killing me! I should just go with a pony." She shouted, exasperated. Ayaka sighed. "Just come downstairs when you're done and if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen.", she said getting up from the bed.

She'd just finished putting back the dishes when she heard Ayane come down. Her face broke out into a smile as she saw her. _'So she decided to go with it at last.'_

"I'll be back by four." Ayane said as she put on her shoes. "Ja." Ayaka watched her as she went out. _'Ayane…'_

_FLASHBACK_

_Her eyes went wide as she stared at the pink yukata that her father held up. It had sakura prints all over it. "Sugoi! Arigatou ne, 'tou-san." She shouted in glee. "I'm glad you like it Aya.", said the man as he ruffled her hair. A woman in her late twenties entered the room and sat down next to her husband. "Seiji, you're spoiling her.", she said, rolling her eyes. "She threw that vase into the fish tank again. That's the third time this week and you're not helping the situation either by laughing at it." He chuckled. "See…there you go again." "She'll stop it as soon as she finds it boring. Don't worry." He said, grinning. Ayaka sighed and got up. "The festival starts at five, Ayu." said Seiji. "Mm."_

_Ayaka lifted Ayane from the bed. "Okay, bath-time, young lady." She said smiling as Ayane squealed at being lifted._

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

_Ayane pouted. "I wanna tie my hair different this time." She said indignantly. Ayaka sighed. Suddenly the smell of something burning wafted into the room. "Oh no! The tofu." Ayaka ran out of the room. "Seiji, could you please help Ayane with her hair?" she called out._

"_Hmm…not what seems to be the problem?" he asked, sitting down next to Ayane. After she explained, he smiled at her, "Well…let's just fix that."_

"_Voila!" exclaimed Seiji, "So what do you think?" "Hai! Sugoi!" she yelled. Ayane proudly showed her mother her hair, which was now parted into two and tied on either side with a ribbon, grinning. _

_END OF FLASHBACK_

A small sad smile slowly found its way to Ayaka's face as she stared at the sakura tree which was now covered with green leaves.

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Japanese Words

Hai - Yes

'kaa-chan - Mother

'otou-san- Father

Yukata - a kimono; usually light colours

Sakura - Cherry Blossom

**Okedokee! Chapter's done! I know it's kinda short but............Please read and review? :(..**


	5. Suspicions

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**Hey Guys….Here's the fifth chapter…..**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoT…-_-**

"_A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be." ~Douglas Pagels_

Chapter 5: Suspicions

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_Dedicated to:_

_.Eiji-Natsumi_

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Ayane strode down the hall quite briskly. _'Why? Why? Why?...Why am I such an IDIOT? Jeez…I'm so late…Chiako-chan's going to kill me!'_ Thinking about a fuming Chiako however, brought a smile to her face. It's been a month since Ayane joined Seigaku for her Third Year of High School. Having reached the school gate Ayane looked around for Chiako who was nowhere to be seen. _'Hmm…maybe Chiako-chan's practicing late…Oh well! I'll just wait for her.' _

"Shizuno-san?"

Ayane jumped at the sound. She looked around and saw Fuji walking towards her, tennis bag on his shoulder. "Oh…you scared me, Fuji-kun.", said Ayane letting out a sigh. Fuji chuckled lightly. "It's late. What are you still doing here?" asked Fuji. "I'm waiting for Chiako-chan." Fuji slightly frowned. "Chiako-san left. I saw her running past the tennis courts earlier."

"Are you sure it was Chiako-chan?"

Fuji nodded. Ayane shook her head slightly. "Thanks for telling me Fuji-kun. I'm sure it must have been something important…Chiako-chan must have been in a really big hurry. Well… see you tomorrow Fuji-kun." She waved and ran ahead. With a frown on his face Fuji started walking.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Saturday, Shizuno Residence.**

Ayane propped her head on her hand. _'I hope Chiako-chan's alright. She's been acting so weird for the last few days. Maybe something's bugging her…but now that I think about it, she's been a bit out of it since that day at the **Burger Joint**.'_

FLASHBACK

_"Ne…Chiako-chan you wanna try some of my fries?" Ayane was greeted by silence. "Um…Chiako-chan?...Chiako-chan!", she said a little louder. "Oh! I-I'm sorry. I-I was just thinking…So what did you want to say Aya-chan?" Ayane let out a sigh. "I just asked you if want some of my fries. It's okay. Anyway…Chiako-chan, why didn't pick out some clothes. That pink skirt was so cute and I'm sure you would've looked great in it." _

_"I already told you Aya-chan. I just had a shopping spree with my 'kaa-chan last week." Chiako replied with a smile. Ayane pouted. Chiako-chan laughed lightly. "You done?" asked Chiako. "Mm…Let's go." said Ayane, getting up._

_Ayane and Chiako walked down the lane. "Well…I had a great time shopping with you Aya-chan. Now don't roll your eyes. I did have fun." "Alright fine but I'm walking home with you. It's my 'thank you', plus I can see your house." said Ayane. "U-um…w-well maybe next time. I have to drop by a store to get something for my 'kaa-chan. I'll walk with you home today, Aya-chan." _

_Chiako suddenly giggled. Ayane who was about to give her a "What? No fair." shut her mouth to give Chiako a questioning glance. "What's so funny?" she inquired. "It's just that I really like the nickname Eiji-kun gave you." Chiako replied, another giggle escaping from her mouth. Ayane suddenly stiffened. "O-oh…yeah…I guess…"_

_Chiako frowned. "Ne…Aya-chan…do you mind if I ask you something?" "What is it?"_

_"It's about Eiji-kun…I…I just wanted to ask you. Is there something about Eiji-kun that bothers you? Or is it that you have a crush on him? You seem to get tensed up when you just hear his name." _

_"W-w-what?" Ayane stuttered out. "N-no. I-I d-don't have a **crush **on Eiji-kun and I'm not bothered by him. I just…he's really hyper and bouncy. So yeah…" "I see…" said Chiako looking at the ground from the corner of her eye. After a few minutes in silence, Chiako finally said, "Well…I have to turn at this street. I'll se ya." She turned towards Ayane, waved and walked ahead as Ayane mumbled a soft "Bye"._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Ayane frowned. Thinking more and more about it, Chiako seemed so different that day. The way she changed the subject was kinda suspicious too. _'But that was a close call. I gotta be extra careful when I'm around Eiji.' _A sudden thought occurred to her. _'What if **Chiako-chan** likes Eiji-kun?'_

Ayane climbed up the stairs to the rooftop. The wind blew her hair as she stepped out from the door. She was alone. _'Chiako-chan might have gotten held up. I guess I'll just start off.'_

Ayane opened her bento and broke her chopsticks. After a quick "Ittadakimasu!" she picked up her onigiri and munched into it.

The door to the rooftop suddenly burst open. Chiako stepped out. "Ah…Gomen ne! I had to finish some notes. Umm…Aya-chan, about Friday…I'm sorry again. I was really in a big hurry. I just forgot…I'm so so sorry!", she said almost teary eyed. "I-It's okay. I totally understand. I knew it must have been important." said Ayane, startled. "Arigatou ne, Aya-chan."

Ayane grinned her face covered with rice. Chiako laughed. "You're such a baby. Look at your face." she said, giggling. Chiako immediately sat down taking her bento out. As she did so she complained to Ayane about Matsura sensei (their History teacher from Chap. 3) and how he was bent on taking out their lives. Ayane smiled to herself as she heard Chiako rant on about demons and afterlives. _'I think too much. Chiako-chan's fine…It must have been just her "once-in-a-month" thing.'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Chiako's POV**

I said "bye" to Aya-chan and turned the corner. I was practically running. I looked at my watch.5:35. Shoot! Ray's gonna be so mad (but of course he woludn't show it). Well...it was his fault anyway that I got into this whole thing in the first place. Oh! He is so dead! Then again…it was partly my fault too. I hated myself. This was not good. My plans were going all wrong.

I ruffled my hair in frustration. I saw Ray up ahead. He was as stoic as ever. "You're late. Atsuki-san." Jee...thanks, Mr. Stater of the Obvious. "I know." I muttered. "Just get going."

He nodded and started the car. I hated this. Lying to Aya-chan was one thing, now I have to put up so many pretences….This was not good. On top of that, I kept getting the feeling that Aya-chan was hiding something... about Eiji-kun. Wait! I have no right to question her. Ugh! I'm messed up. Why did I keep getting the feeling that everything was going wrong…

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Japanese Words

Gomen – Sorry

'kaa-chan – Mother

Onigiri - Rice ball with nori (dry seaweed, I think it's salted too)

Bento – Lunch box

You already know: Ittadakimasu

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A kinda confusing chap.…kukuku….-_-

**(change mode)**

**First off… I'm sooooo sorry I took so long to update! I was so caught up in my busy schedule, Hell..er..I mean.. School reopened. I hope someone's still reading my story…T.T….**

**Second,….Someone…Anyone…PLEASE REVEIW …PLEASE! I'm still a "one review story" **

**You guys please…I want to hear your thoughts and comments about my story. Do you like the plot? Anything….Please….with my work load….your review would be a stress reliever and a BIG motivator….. I'd be totally motivated to write the next chap an dfast too (i.e. once in two weeks), if you reviewed:D.**

**Last of all...if anyone's interested..I made a link, in my profile, to a website in which you can see Ayane. It's exactly how I imagine her to be...although she's(Ayane) a whole lot more cheerful, the picture shows a sad Ayane.**

**Well that's all…. Please press that review button…T.T**


	6. Closer

**Hey….My next chapter…. I'm really grateful to my two new reviewers, Coco96 and mellode and of course, my dear Twinkle-chan…**

**Thank you so much! Your reviews really motivated me to write this chapter. Pri-Chan 1410 and strawbewii, thank you for adding my story to your favourites(but I'd appreciate it, if you let me know why you liked it) **

**I hope you all like this chapter. I spent a lot of time on it. I also hope I've made some improvement. Reading your reviews made me feel soooo happy. Please continue sending them. Anywayz….on with the story…Fuji if you please. **

**Fuji: Saa… ai-chan doesn't own Prince of Tennis.**

**ai-chan: Kyaa….that was so sweet and painful at the same time. You're amazing Fuji! (faints)**

"_In good times and bad times, I'll be on your side for ever more...that's what friends are for.__"_

Chapter 6: Closer

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Dedicated to:

_Twinklejade-chan  
__Coco96  
__mellode  
__Pri-Chan 1410  
__strawbewii_

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Yup. My life sucked. I must've been cursed or something. I opened another book and read more about Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun. I sighed. I'd been here for the past fifteen minutes….he was really late. I sighed. Why did I have to end up with **him, **of all people? I laid my head on the table and groaned lightly…My stupid rotten luck was unbelievable….

Four days ago….

Matsura-sensei announced to the class about their project on Greek history. "Ok…we'll take lots this time, I'm not going to risk the stampede that happened last time, when I asked you to choose your partners," he said. Half the class groaned. Ayane wringed her hands, nervously. "Takuji and…..Mitsugi." "Shinji and….Kimura" "Katsura and Satoshi"

"Shizuno and….Kikumaru" Her heart almost stopped. _'Wait! What? No…he didn't! Oh no! No… no… no! Not him…not Eiji. This is BAD!' _Eiji happily sat himself next to Ayane, oblivious of her inner turmoil.

"Nya! I'm glad I got you as my partner, Aya-chan. The last partner I had was pretty scary…"

Ayane slightly winced. "O-oh….um...right."

"So when do you wanna start working on the project?" Eiji asked. "Oh…um… well we're supposed to do it together so I guess when you're free from tennis practise." Ayane replied. "Nya! I don't have practise this Friday. How about then? " Ayane nodded.

Present

I let out a groan. Darn that Toshiru! He was Class President and who did he get as his partner? Chiako-chan, the second best student in class on Greek Mythology. I sulked as I turned the page. Wow…this thing with prophecies was driving me crazy. I closed the book. Hmm…maybe I could go find a book on Poseidon, I liked the sea. I got up from my seat and checked the shelves.

After ten minutes of searching, I finally found the book I'd wanted. Only one problem though…I couldn't reach it. The ladder wasn't there so I had to use the stool, which still didn't help me. Darn my shortness. This was so embarrassing. Nuh-uh! I could do this. I'd just have to…reach out a bit…yeah…that's right. I set down the stool and stood on top of it. Nope, I'd definitely have to reach out. I bent forward and stretched out my hand. The stool moved. Woah. I let out a little scream. My face burned as I looked around. Good, no one saw me. Jeez…What kind of idiot put a stool with wheels? Maybe I could just ask - No…no. I could do this. That's right…I got it…almost… just an inch…

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Eiji still couldn't figure out how it happened. His head still hurt. Wow. _'Nya! Aya-chan's __**really**__ strong. I wouldn't want to mess with her.' _He sweat dropped at the memory.

_FLASHBACK_

_He packed his bag and said a quick 'Bye' to Oishi. He hoped Aya-chan wouldn't be mad. __**'I guess I kinda got carried away…I was having so much fun teasing Ochibi and Sakuno-chan!'**__ He chuckled at the thought. He stepped quietly into the library which looked pretty deserted except for a few kids and the librarian. __**'Nya! How do I find Aya-chan? I know...maybe I can find her somewhere near the History Section.' **_

_Eiji walked past the Section…nope…no one there. Wait, those were her books on the table, weren't they? She must be near by. Just then, he heard a small scream and a muffled voice. Eiji quickly walked towards it. He'd just appeared from behind the shelf when he saw it. Being the flexible guy he was, Eiji quickly lurched forward and caught her just as she stumbled from the stool._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

**Ayane's POV**

_FLASHBACK_

_I'd almost got it. Then suddenly the stool just slid and I was stumbling forward. I shut my eyes tight and waited for the impact. I felt myself hit something, and then I was lying on something…which was definitely not the floor. I opened my eyes and found myself staring into a pool of cat-like dark blue eyes. _

_I blinked. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was lying on top of…Eiji. My face went so red; I think I'd have put even a tomato to shame. His face was inches apart from mine and our legs were all tangled up. I shot up like I'd been stung and it was an impulse really and I just pushed him. I only realized what I'd done after I heard the __**"Umph!"**__ that came from him as he rubbed his head, where he'd hit the stool. Oops._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

oooooooooooooooooooooo

The setting sun cast its shadows on them as they walked side by side along the pavement. Ayane still looked a bit flushed but Eiji was practically skipping, letting out a small whistle. Ayane suddenly said, "If you have trouble with your part of the work you can always tell me. It's probably taxing on you, having to do homework, then your project and go for tennis practise." Eiji shook his head. "Nya! I like playing tennis so I have fun, except when Inui comes up with his horrible concoctions!" Eiji stuck his tongue out here. Ayane giggled. "I can do my half, Aya-chan. I think you've already taken most of the hard parts, Nya!" Eiji added. Ayane gave a small smile.

As they walked on, she felt more guilt creep into her. Ayane looked at Eiji from the corner of her eyes and then her gaze shifted to his head. That hit had been pretty hard. While they were waiting for the signal to turn red, she saw a small café to the right, across the road. "Hey Eiji-kun, why don't we stop by that place?" Eiji looked in the direction in which Ayane pointed. "Sure."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The café wasn't so big but it had a cozy feel to it. It was a really nice place to hang out with friends. It wasn't so crowded now but Ayane was sure it was popular seeing how the people who worked there were so friendly. She sipped her chocolate shake and sat back to look at Eiji who was busy stuffing another scoop of his sundae into his mouth. "Nyah! Dish ish really good! Hey! You want shome Aya-chan?" asked Eiji, sticking a scoop of sundae at Ayane's face. She blushed slightly and shook her head. "I'm good, Eiji-kun. This shake has me stuffed," she said, "Besides, I wanted to treat you after what I did. I'm really sorry!"

Eiji looked bewildered for a moment. "Wait! Why are you- Is it because of what happened back at the library?" Ayane nodded. "Nya! You don't have to apologize for that. It's no big deal!" he said, grinning. After they finished their desserts and having fought over the bill (which Eiji won much to Ayane's disappointment), they resumed their walk back home. At a fork they had to go separate ways. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eiji-kun and next time I'm the one paying!" she said, sticking her tongue out before running off. Eiji stood shocked for a moment then shook his head. "We'll see about that…"he said to himself, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Shizuno Residence**

Ayane buried her face in her pillow. This wasn't her day. First, she'd been late. Then during P.E class she'd been whacked with a volleyball; twice, obviously some one from the Eiji Fan Club. And finally, _**that**_. She sighed. An image of Eiji gobbling his ice-cream flashed across her mind. Slowly, a smile found its way to her lips. _'Eiji…you're still the same…' _Ayane suddenly remebered how she'd stuck her tongue out at him. _'I can't believe I did that. I guess I just got used to being around him again. I can't let myself get too close.'_

Ayane sat up straight and reached for her bag, lying next to her. She saw a booklet cramped inside with her books. Suddenly, she remembered that they were the violin scores she was supposed to have given Chiako. She ran over to the phone and dialed her number. After a few rings, a male voice was heard through the phone.

"Atsuki Residence."

"Ano…Can I speak to Chiako-chan?"

Ayane couldn't really hear what the other person was saying…there was some sort of song playing there…something classical…. "Excuse me?"

Suddenly there was some sort of struggling and crackling.

Chiako's voice panted out: "Hai….Nani, Aya-chan?"

"Umm…I…uh... called to tell you that you-" She was cut off by some kind of shouting on the other side.

"_**Why can't she just do it?"**_

Chiako's voice came in softly. "I-I'll see you at school. Ja ne Aya-chan."

With that she hung up. '_What was that?'_

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The chilly morning air was filled with the beautiful melody of Gavotte (1). It resounded through the hallways and seemed to bring everything to life. Suddenly the music stopped and silence settled, once again, in the empty corridors of Seishun Gakuen. Chiako sighed and set down her violin. _'I can't believe I lost my_ scores_! How am I going to learn the rest of the piece when my competition's nearly here?'_ She picked up her bag and violin case and slowly stepped out of the empty classroom. As she was walking along the corridor, her head hung low, she didn't see a pile a floating books walking straight toward her.

THUMP!

She fell on the floor with a thud, her bag fell open too and some of her books jumped out. She looked around for her violin case and found that it was under a small pile of books. That's when she noticed the guy sitting in front of her, rubbing his head. "Toshiru-kun?" The azure eyed lad jerked his head up to see Chiako.

"A-ah! G-gomen ne, Atsuki-san. I didn't see you, it was very irresponsible of me," he said, bowing. "Oh no, no….It was my fault for not looking where I was going. Please, you don't have to apologize." said Chiako, waving her hands. Toshiru quickly got up and held out his hand for Chiako. A small blush crept over her cheeks as she took his hand and raised herself up. He immediately made a gesture to help her with her books. "Oh! It's fine. I can take them myself. Let me help you with your books."

As Chiako picked up another book she noticed the title _Zeus: The Greek King of Gods_. As she handed the books back to him, she asked, "Were you using those books for extra reference?"

"Oh! I thought I'd just check out a couple more books. I think they came in quite handy. We could add that in too since we haven't completed the project yet," he replied. "By the way, Atsuki-san, was that you playing the violin?" he asked. "Yeah, I was practising for the competition," said Chiako, giving a strained smile, "So do you have time today? I won't have violin classes so I can come to the library."

"Sure. I'll be there by four." Chiako thanked him again and rushed off to class. Toshiru Seito watched her leave and then continued his trudge back to class.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane entered the class and found Chiako in her seat. That was a first, she always came a lot later. _**"Why can't she just do it?" **_The way the conversation had ended so abruptly last night floated into her head. Ayane looked at Chiako worriedly. _'I hope she's alright. That voice over the phone was scary. Chiako-chan…' _

"Hey, Ayane-chan. Good Morning!" greeted Chiako;cheerily, bringing Ayane out of her thoughts.

"O-oh! G-Good Morning."

Ayane took her place, two seats in front of Chiako. As she sat there awkwardly, wondering what she should say to Chiako, the latter came and settled down in the seat next to her. "Ayane-chan, can we have lunch together at our super secret place today?" asked Chiako with a wink. "Sure. I'd love that." Ayane smiled. The door opened with a bang and a bouncy red head walked inside followed by a tensai.

"Nya! Good Morning Aya-chan, Chiako-chan!"

"Saa…Good Morning Ayane-san, Chiako-san."

The girls greeted them back. Eiji sat down in front of Ayane who was chatting with Chiako again. He listened as Chiako went onto talk about their History project, then he suddenly exclaimed, "Nya! Aya-chan, I forgot to tell you, I can't come today, we have tennis practise till four."

"That's okay. I'll just wait in the library."

"Waoh," said Chiako, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Why not?"

Chiako whispered, "Don't you remember last P.E class? Those girls were throwing dirty looks on you the whole period. Who knows what kind of booby traps they've set up in the library?"

An image of a sinister stool appeared in Ayane's head. _'I was lucky Eiji got there in time or I might have broken some bones.'_ She sweat dropped. "Y-you're probably right," she said, "I think I'll wait at the courts till practise is over."

"Nya! That's a great idea. Now I can introduce you to everybody."

Ayane and Chiako laughed airily. Ha…Eiji….so dense, so dense…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The midday sun shone brightly and the air sounded with the chirps of birds that were enjoying the light breeze. The door to the rooftops opened and two girls sat down to have their lunch under the sun shade. Ayane slowly chewed her food and felt like choking in the dreadful silence. She almost jumped when Chiako suddenly spoke.

"My mother and I had a fight last night. It was pretty bad and we both got really mad," she said staring at the ground; so intensely, Ayane thought she could burn two holes into it. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, Aya-chan."

"It's okay…" Ayane said, unsurely, "So…is everything okay now?"

Chiako looked up at her and smiled, "Yeah, its okay. Mom and I can't stay mad at each other for long. Anyway, why did you call?"

Ayane looked puzzled for a second then it hit her that she'd never told Chiako why she'd called. "I actually called to tell you that I had the violin scores you forgot in class yesterday," she said sheepishly. Chiako blinked. "What?"

"I guess I kinda forgot to tell you. My bad."

Chiako felt the corner of her mouth twitch. "You idiot! I almost cried thinking I'd lost them and here you are telling me you had them all along."

"Hey! I called. It's not my fault you were busy picking a fight with your mom."

"You didn't tell me in the morning either."

"Well….I…that…" Ayane pouted.

Chiako suddenly burst into fits of laughter. Ayane looked at her surprised and then joined her. "Well…make sure you give it to me before you forget again," said Chiako, wiping tears away, "You'll be _pretty_ busy this evening, I'm sure."

Ayane frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh…you'll see," said Chiako, giving a sly smile.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Tennis Courts, Seigaku**

_Pok. Pok. Pok_.

The sound of tennis balls being hit back and forth resounded all around the courts. Some freshmen were swinging their rackets and others were hitting balls against the wall. Most of the others were playing with each other. Tezuka as usual, stood by the sidelines, watching the practice matches. The Kantou Tournaments were nearing, they'd have to work harder, can't let their guards down.

Eiji ran to get the ball and hit it back with a volley. Momoshiro seized this opportunity and hit it back with his dunk smash.

"30-30"

Eiji panted. _'Nya…Momo's giving me a run for my money.'_ He rubbed away the sweat that slid down his cheek with the back of his hand. '_Ha! No way I'm gonna let an underclassmen beat me! Get ready Momo!'_ His face looked determined. Eiji got ready to serve again. Momo grinned. "C'mon Eiji-senpai! Give me some sport."

"Oi! Don't get so cocky, you brat. Just because I'm down by one game doesn't mean you're gonna win the match."

"We'll see about that."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane walked out of the school buildings. _'The tennis courts were that way, weren't they?'_ She went left and took a turn to the right. A path split there. She turned right again and reached a gym. She slowly slid the door open.

"Hey, Kenji, pass it to me."

"I got it!" A brunette caught the ball and made a free-throw.

"Ya! Great throw Kenji!"

Ayane continued to watch the match. _'That really was a good throw but that guy really seems to be full of himself.' _

"Kya! GO KENJI-SAMA!" Hiroshi Kenji turned to his wonderful, ever-supportive fan girls and gave them a wink and a victory sign. "KYA…"-faints-. Ayane felt her brow twitch. _'It's no wonder he is…' _Ayane turned her attention back to the game. The other team was getting pretty tense. _'They're gonna have to score soon or else the other team's going to win. Wow. This is exciting! It's been a long time since I've been to a basketball match.' _

One of the players, too agitated, quickly shot the ball to the side. "Kazu, get it!" However, it went sailing through the air way too fast for him to get it. Ayane who was lost in her thoughts didn't see that the ball was heading towards her. There was no time for her to move out of the way. The ball hit her right in the stomach. She felt pain shoot through her body, her legs gave in and she slid to the floor. She felt tears form in the corners of eyes. She held her stomach with her hands lightly and tried to sooth out the pain. She was surprised when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She tried to form some words but to no avail. She felt herself being lifted and in a few seconds found that she was being carried by someone. She felt too tired to look at who was carrying her or where she was being taken, her eyelids felt like lead and she let them shut.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

What? The racket slipped out of Eiji's hand. "They took her to the nurse's office," Chiako panted out. _'Aya-chan…' _He raced out of the courts; he didn't even care if Tezuka made him run a 100 laps for this. Chiako blinked.

"Hey, Atsuki-senpai, is this person Eiji-senpai's girlfriend?", inquired Momo.

Chiako smiled slyly. Well, she'd expected him to get all worked up but this was even better. "Oh…you could say that…" "Huh?"

Oishi looked stunned,"Wait! Eiji has a girlfriend? He didn't tell me…"

"Saa….This should be interesting."

"Iie…Data."

"Mada mada dane, Eiji-senpai."

"Wait, how does Eiji having a girlfriend make him "mada mada dane", Echizen?"

"He let himself fall for a girl. He's weak."

Chiako sweatdropped.

"That's enough discussion. Back to practise, everyone!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The room was quiet and it was bathed with the golden light from the setting sun. Her hair was sprawled on the bed, her eyes were closed and her face looked peaceful. She almost seemed like an angel lying there asleep. Ayane opened her eyes slowly. She flinched as the light shone into her eyes. She cracked them open again and found herself staring into a pair of sky blue eyes. "E-eiji…" Her voice came out like a croak.

"You're awake. Thank goodness." Ayane frowned. That definitely didn't sound like Eiji.

Her vision became clear and she recognized the person sitting beside her on the bed, it was…

"Hi, my name's Hiroshi Kenji. I'm from the Basket Ball Team. I thought I'd stay till you woke up. Besides, it was because of the irresponsibility of one of our players that you ended up here in the first place, so Captain told me to see to it that you're fine." He smiled.

She tried getting up but fell back as pain shot through her. Her head slightly hurt too. "Hey, don't push it. Let me help you." Kenji slid his arm around Ayane's shoulder and slowly raised her into a sitting position. Sitting up straight, Ayane said, "It's okay. I'm alright now. Please don't blame your teammate; it was my fault for standing there like a dummy."

"You're really kind." He leaned forward and placed his hand on her cheek. Ayane's eyes widened. What the heck was this guy doing? Suddenly the door to the room burst open.

Eiji stepped into the room panting. He looked strikingly handsome in the golden light, his red hair all ruffled and his dark blue eyes looked so genuinely worried. Ayane's eyes became the size of dinner plates. "Nya! Aya-chan, are you o-" Eiji stopped mid-way and stared at the scene before him. Kenji's hand was placed on top of Ayane's, who was giving him a death glare now.

She pulled her hand away quickly. She looked at Eiji and forced a smile. "Eiji-kun, hi," she said, "Is tennis practice over?"

Eiji slowly stepped forward. "No, I…I heard from Chiako-chan that you were hurt so I came to check on you."

Ayane blushed. "T-thank you. I'm fine, Eiji-kun. Please don't skip practice." She gave him a bright smile. Eiji was standing beside the bed now. He smiled at Ayane, "Nya! Tezuka would probably make me run laps all through the night so I think I'll just go for practice tomorrow," said Eiji sheepishly, scratching his cheek.

Ayane let out a small chuckle, while Eiji stood there grinning. Kenji gave a small cough. Ayane jumped lightly. "Oh….um….Sorry, Hiroshi-san," she said, "Umm Eiji-kun…This is Hiroshi Kenji from the Basket Ball Team. He's the one who brought me to the nurse's office."

Eiji looked at the guy sitting on the bed. His blue eyes looked like he was scrutinizing Eiji and he looked almost annoyed. Nevertheless, Eiji smiled and held out his hand, "I'm Kikumaru Eiji, Regular, Tennis Club. Nice to meet you!" Kenji shook his hand stiffly.

Ayane felt like the air was suddenly very tense. "Umm…W-" "I should get back," Kenji cut across, "Well, I'll see you later umm..-"

"My name is Shizuno Ayane."

"I'll see you Ayane-chan." He took her hand and gave a small peck. He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. There was an awkward silence in the room which was broken by Eiji. "Nya…Aya-chan, I thought you were going to come to the courts."

"Huh?"

"Well, you said you'd come to the courts today."

Ayane blinked. "I …I got lost," she said, her voice barely audible.

"Nya?"

"I got lost," she said, a little louder this time.

"What?"

"I GOT LOST, OKAY?" she said, her face bright red. She pouted and looked at her clasped hands. She was startled when Eiji suddenly started laughing. Eiji was laughing so hard he was finally holding his aching sides. Ayane's face broke out into a small smile.

Her head throbbed again and now it felt like it was going to explode. Her eyes were closing …

"Aya-chan!"

"_Aya-chan…"_

'_Eiji…' _She smiled as she fell back.

**

* * *

**

Phew! This chapter was loooong. It took me forever. I hope you guys didn't get tired of waiting. Well… …. tell me what you think. ^_-…Please…T.T

**BTW, dear mellode, did you get my PM?**

**(1) The ****gavotte**** (also ****gavot**** or ****gavote****) originated as a ****French****folk dance****. Gavotte also refers to the music for the dance. Gavotte is often played after the ****sarabande**** and before the ****gigue****, along with other optional dances such as ****minuet****, ****bourrée****, ****rigaudon****, and ****passepied****.  
****I just thought I'd put that in, incase any of you were wondering. ^_- It is played by Kahoko and Kazuki in La Corda d'Oro, Episode 2. It's really fun to listen to. I'd recommend that you hear it. **

**Japanese Word**

**Gomen - Sorry (I really couldn't help it. I'm sorry; I just felt that "gomen" gave more of an effect, than a simple "sorry" ^_^||)**

**I noticed that I used the word, "suddenly" a lot. I hope it wasn't disturbing. I'm so happy. This is my longest chapter yet. I want to know what you felt about this chapter. I wasn't actually planning on writing about this Kenji guy; while I was typing, he just popped out of nowhere. Tell me what you thought about the little you saw of him. I don't know if I want to use him a lot, let me know if you want to see more of him. **

**Please give me your precious reviews. My school's going to reopen tomorrow so my updates might get a lot slower but if you review I'd be really motivated and that just might result in a new chapter…^_- **


	7. Secrets

**Here's the next chapter. I want to thank all my dear reviewers: mellode, Pri-chan 1410, Coco96 and CemetaryRain. Your reviews really inspired me to write this chapter! **

**Since my time shifts are really frequent (and confusing), I've made a little adjustment. From now on**_** FLASHBACKS**_** will be used to go back (a few or many) years while all other time shifts will be written otherwise (e.g.: Two Days ago, Last Week). However, I will use italics every time I go back in time. ^_^ Well…I hope you enjoy this chapter. Ok Ryoma, take it away….**

**(cricket chirps)**

**ai-chan: Ryoma…. (looks around)….**

**Fuji: He got away while you were talking. (chuckles)**

**ai-chan: (vein pops) I can't believe that kid! After all the Ponta I gave him….**

**Fuji: I can do it, if you want me to.**

**ai-chan: Really? You're such a gentleman Fuji! That little shrimp should learn a ****lesson or two from you. **

**Fuji: Thank you. Saa…..ai-chan doesn't own Prince of Tennis.**

**ai-chan: (sighs)**

**Ryoma: Che….Mada mada dane.**

**ai-chan: (turns around wildly) You little brat, get back here….**

"_Secrets are made to be found out with time.__"-Charles Sanford_

Chapter 7: Secrets

_

* * *

_

_Dedicated to:_

_mellode_  
_Pri-chan 1410_  
_Coco96 _  
_CemetaryRain_

* * *

_She knitted her eyebrows together, thinking. __**"Are you sure about this, **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__**?"**_

_**"Don't worry Aya-chan. Just jump on to that rock and then to the shore."**_

_Ayane__ still didn't lo__ok__ convinced. __Eiji__ had made it lo__ok__ easy, crossing the Acid River, but she wasn't so sure. She looked again at the rock that stood out in the middle. Then, gathering up all her courage, she prepared to cross the treacherous stream._

_She jumped with all her might and landed safely on the stone. Phase 1 of task, completed. She balled her fists and jumped again and managed to get across, barely. Looking at __Eiji__, she ga__ve__ a triumphant grin but just as she stepped forward the sand beneath her feet slipped away. __Ayane__ screamed as she started to fall backwards. Suddenly she felt a hand grab hers and pull her in. _

_They sat down puffing. __**"See, I told you, you could do it."**_

_Ayane__ ga__ve__ a small frown. __**"But you had to help me."**_

_**"That was only at the end. You did the whole task on your own. You were great, **__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__**!"**__ exclaimed Eiji, grinning._

_Ayane's__ cheeks turned slightly pink. __**"Thanks, **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__**."**__  
__**"Well, let's get going. The Quest isn't over yet and there's not much time left till sunset," **__said __Eiji__, getting up._

_They dusted their clothes and started walking towards the pa__tch__ of daisies which lay straight ahead. The park was almost empty now except for a few teenagers and some families. __Ayane__ followed __Eiji__ to the sprout of daisies which looked really pretty. But the children were paying more attention to the large-sized stones that lay in between the flowers, in an almost zigzag manner. The two bra__ve__ knights marched grimly towards the Field of Doom. _

"_**Be careful. They'll explode even at the slightest touch,"**__warned __Eiji__ looking at the stones as though he expected it to explode any moment._

_They stepped through the daisies and the lawn grass, gingerly. __Ayane__ almost fell down as she lost her balance trying to dodge another stone. __Eiji__ however seemed to be doing fine, zigzagging his way across. __Ayane__ finally made it out and let out a sigh. __**"Alright…just one more task to go,"**__she puffed out. __Eiji__ nodded._

_As they started walking again, __Ayane__ looked over __Eiji's__ head- she was taller than him; she congratulated herself on that- to see The Fall ahead, which was really just a little slope. __Eiji__ looked down._

"_**Alright, I'll go first and then wait at the bottom," **__said __Eiji__. __Ayane__ nodded._

_He sat down; his legs stretched out in front, and slid down. As soon as he reached the bottom he stood up and turned to gi__ve__Ayane__ a thumbs up. Her face looked determined as she sat down and pushed hard. She slid a bit too quickly and lurched forward as her feet touched the ground, bumping right into __Eiji__._

"_**Ow!/Ouch!"**_

"_**I'm so sorry **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__**!"**__ Ayane said, teary eyed and rubbing her throbbing forehead._

"_**It's okay…Please don't cry **__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__**,"**__ Eiji said, flailing his hands, __**"See….I'm perfectly fine." **__He marched up and down. __Ayane's__ sobs slowly died down. She looked at __Eiji__ once more. __**"R-really?"**_

"_**Yeah….I'm fine."**__  
She sniffed again. __**"**__**C'mon**__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__**. Let's go get the Holy Berries and finish our quest," **__Eiji__ said, beaming._

"_**Okay." **__Ayane__ ga__ve__ him a weak smile but that immediately changed into a startled face when __Eiji__ to__ok__ hold of her hand and led her forward. Her face turned a light shade of red as she let out a big smile. _

_Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

"_**Lady **__**Ayaka**__**, Lady **__**Sayuri**__**, we, your knights ha**__**ve**__** returned with the Holy Berries," **__announced Eiji stepping grandly into the kitchen._

_The two ladies turned to lo__ok__ at their bra__ve__ fi__ve__ year old knights whose faces were now smudged with a little dirt. __Shizuno__Ayaka__ laughed lightly. __**"I see. Well, you have done well indeed, brave knights. Now it's time for your well-deserved Royal Bath."**_

"_**That's right and after that we can have some of those cherry cookies,"**__added __Kikumaru__Sayuri__, her smile glowing just like the setting sun. _

_Eiji__ cheered as he ran ahead into the bathroom. __Ayaka__ followed him, holding fresh clothes in her hands and __Ayane__ dragged behind looking a bit upset. When she stepped inside, __Eiji__ was already in the bath tub and was blowing the soap bubbles that floated around him. __**"C'mon Aya-chan."**_

_Ayane__ continued to stare ahead. __Ayaka__ walked to her, __kneeled__ down in front and looked into her emerald eyes. __**"Aya, what's wrong honey?"**__  
__She looked at the ground not meeting __Ayaka's__ eyes. __**"Aya..," **__she called lifting her chin, __**"What's wrong?"**_

"_**I'm not good at anything. **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__** did a great job at all the tasks while I messed up everything."**__ Ayane's eyes looked glassy now._

_Ayaka__ ga__ve__ a small smile. __**"That's alright. You can do better next time. Besides, I know something **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__** could never beat you at. Even daddy couldn't beat you."**__ She smirked and looked in the direction of the bath tub. Ayane's face lit up. __**"Water-splash contest!"**__they chorused. __Ayaka__ chuckled, getting up, __**"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go **__**Aya**__**."**_

"_**Nya**__**..**__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__**!"**_

Ayane's eyes shot open. She cringed as light shone into them. She shut them again and slowly peered through and found herself staring at a picture of a huge sakura tree. _'This picture looks awfully familiar…'_ She looked to her right and saw a table and chair. The table was piled with books, colours, brushes and a few hairpins. There was a small window to the side and now it was open letting in the cold night air. She frowned in thought for a few minutes before she finally realized where she was._'Thi-this is…..my room.' _She slowly sat up and immediately placed her hand lightly on her stomach which ached a bit. _'Why is that?'_ She slowly got out of her bed and made her way to the door.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shizuno Ayaka expertly cut up the tomatoes and proceeded to chop up the carrots now. She smiled as she remembered what happened not more than 3 hours ago…..

_Ayaka__ jotted down the last of the things she'd need to buy tomorrow. She looked at the clock again, 5:45, she frowned. __Aya__ sure was getting late today. She sighed, getting up. '__**Might as well start making dinner.'**__She stopped in her tracks as the doorbell rang just then. She rushed to open the door and the sight that greeted her when she did, was that of a red-headed boy carrying __Ayane__ on his back. __Ayaka__ quickly shot forward, startled and worried. __**"Aya….what happened to her?"  
**_

_**"**__**Nya**__**! It's nothing to worry about. She just fainted from fatigue. **__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__** got hit by a basketball."**_

_Ayaka__ stared amazed at the boy. She looked at his cat-like eyes fixedly. __Eiji__sweatdropped__. __**"Nya, I'm sorry if-"  
"Ano…I'm sorry but could you tell me who you are?"**_

"_**Sorry. **__**Nya**__**! I'm **__**Eiji**__** and I'm in **__**Aya**__**-**__**chan's**__** class,"**__said __Eiji__, smiling sheepishly. __Ayaka__ smiled warmly. __**"Please, come in. Thank you so much for taking care of **__**Aya**__**, **__**Eiji**__**-**__**kun**__**."**_

"_**Nya**__**, it's okay."**_

_She continued to stare at __Eiji__ who was setting __Ayane__ down on the couch. '__**It couldn't be. She didn't tell me….but it's got to be him. The hair, the eyes, the band aid, even the "**__**nya**__**".' **__After a few more minutes of debating with herself, she finally asked, __**"Ano…Are you **__**Kikimaru **__**Eiji**__**?" **_

_Eiji__ looked at her, surprised. __**"Yeah."**_

"_**A-**__**Aya**__** has told me about you," **__Ayaka__ replied, smiling, __**"So… you play tennis?"**_

"_**Yeah, I do."**_

'_**Phew. That wild guess was lucky. **__**Aya's**__** probably going to kill me for this…oh well, that's what she gets for not telling me.' **__Ayaka__ cackled in her head. She turned to lo__ok__ at __Ayane__ who was still fast asleep. __**"I'm sorry but could I ask you for one more favour?"**_

"_**Sure. I don't mind, **__**nya**__**!"**_

"_**Could you help me take her upstairs? I'm too weak and exhausted right now to do it by myself."**_

_Eiji__ nodded. __**"**__**Nya**__**, please don't overwork yourself. I can take her up myself."**_

"_**Thank you dear. Her room's the first one to the left."**_

_Ayaka__ looked on as __Eiji__ carefully lifted __Ayane__ up from the couch and made his way to the stairs. After __Eiji__ had climbed all the way up she slowly crept upstairs. She peeped into the room and saw __Ayane__ being placed softly on the bed. __Eiji__ looked down at __Ayane's__ face with a smile. __**"Hope you feel better when you get up **__**Aya**__**-**__**chan**__**. **__**Nya**__**! I'll see you at school tomorrow."**__He stared at her face for a few more minutes before getting up and turning towards the door. __Ayaka__ quickly jolted down stairs and grabbed her newspaper and empty coffee cup. When __Eiji__ finally reached the bottom of the stairs, __Ayaka__ looked up innocently from her paper._

**"_Thank you so much for your help __Eiji__-__kun__. You're such a gentleman!"_**

**"_Nya_**_**! It's no big deal," **said __Eiji__, blushing and scratching the back of his head. _

**"_Please come by again."_**

**"_O-__ok__."_**

_Ayaka__ ga__ve__ him an angelic smile and waved as he left. She stared at his back till he finally disappeared round the corner._

**Present**

**Ayane's****POV**

I slowly descended the stairs and found my mom setting down a bowl on the table. The smell of miso soup hung in the air along with that of curry and rice. Mmm. Nothing like mom's cooking!

I was about to call her but then I stopped and grinned evilly. This was a perfect chance for me to get back at her for that time she scared me and made me fall from the bed. HAHAHA! Sweet revenge….1…2…

"Ah!You're awake."

I stared at her with dotted eyes.

She laughed lightly. "Oh..You're gonna have to do better than that honey, if you're gonna scare me."

I groaned….darn. I pouted as I went to get the plates. I sighed and set them down. Mom and I sat down to eat and I listened and laughed as she told me how her day was.

"So Aya….how was your day?"  
"Nothing much, just the usual."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"  
"Oh..it's nothing."

Hmm…weird.  
I shrugged and continued to wipe the dishes. My mom sighed as she picked up another spoon and, it seemed to me like, she was staring at it longingly. I sweatdropped. Yup, moms can be really weird sometimes. As I reached over and kept the plate in it's place my stomach suddenly stung a bit. My hands immediately shot down and I slowly rubbed the place where it had stung. Basketball….

"_Hey, __Kenji__ pass the ball."__  
"Are you okay?"  
__"Hi! My name is __Hiroshi__Kenji__."__  
"Nya, Aya-chan!" _

Suddenly everything that had happened in the evening came back to me. But…how did I- wait….Eiji? No way…mom didn't say- That's when I realized it.

So that's what she meant. I looked at her as she slowly walked into the living room. I followed her in and called out to her, "Hey,mom…" She turned around and looked at me.  
"Hm?"

"I'm sorry…..I wanted to tell you but then I-"

"It's okay. I understand why you didn't tell me," she said, giving me a small, shaky smile, "I know it was hard for you, having to leave and I'm sorry I was so forceful."

I walked towards her, my heart full of guilt. I hugged her lightly. "Stop blaming yourself, mom. Really, how many times do we have to go over this? We had to leave." I pulled back a bit and looked up at her. "Besides, I'm totally over it now." I gave a fake laugh.

Mom continued to look at me with her glassy brown eyes. I remembered how dad used to say that mom's eyes could see through anything and that's how she'd stolen away his heart (yeah, dad was quite the drama king); so there was no point in lying to her.

I started, "Okay…fine. Maybe just a smidge more."

Mom sighed. "Aya, if you need to tell me anything, you know I'll be there for you, don't you?" I nodded.

She smiled, "It was nice seeing Eiji-kun again. So he still plays tennis, huh?"  
I looked at her, surprised. "How did-"

"Well, I talked to him of course."  
My heart was hammering now. "W-what did you talk about?"

Mom grinned slyly. "Oh…This and that. Anyway he's much more taller now. You'd probably look like a bean sprout if you stood next to him."

My vein popped. "I'm not a bean sprout. I'm sure I reach upto his shoulders…almost and don't think you can stray away from the topic!"

"What topic?" she asked, moving away.

"Hey, get back here. I'm not done yet!"

Mom walked up the stairs laughing and I followed pouting and glaring at her back.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The bright summer sun glowed happily and it made the dew in the grass sparkle like diamonds. The clouds seemed glad for the warmth of the day and as if to prove it, they looked even fluffier today. Robert strolled briskly through the carpeted corridor and made his way up the stairs, quite quickly for a man his age. He quietly opened the large mahagony doors that led to the Young Master's bedroom. It was large enough to fit four or five African elephants, a few pictures were hung on the walls; some showed nature scenes, others showed basketball players and one showed a middle aged man who had his arms around a beautiful lady. Their smiles looked kind and radiant. There were a few other pieces of furniture in the room including the huge king-sized bed in the centre where a brunette was sleeping peacefully.

Robert sighed and went towards the red curtains which were still drawn over the French windows that led to the balcony. In one swift motion he swept aside the curtains and bright sunlight poured into the room. There was groaning to be heard from beneath a pile of sheets. The old butler walked towards the vase which was kept on a small table beside the bed. He took out the withered flowers and replaced them with the white lilies he'd picked from the garden.

"It's 7:00 already. You must get up Master Kenji," his voice, old yet stern and refined, broke the stillness in the room.

"Please Robert….just five more minutes."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You were late yesterday because Matsuri allowed you to sleep for ten more minutes which stretched onto fifteen minutes," said the old man, shaking his head, "Miss Katsura was cross and she said she'd come here and deal with you personally if you didn't get up."

Quick as lightning, the sheets were thrown out of bed and Hiroshi Kenji was practically running into the bathroom. Five minutes later he emerged from inside, his hair ruffled up and looking as groggy as ever.

He dragged himself behind Robert as he descended the stairs.

Kenji yawned. "Really Robert, did you have to wake me up so early? Couldn't you have made some excuse to Yana for me?" He ended this sentence with yet another yawn. Robert sighed.

"Master Kenji, I told you it's past 7:00. The sun's been up for hours and you know what they say, 'Make hay while the sun shines.'"

Kenji mentally snorted. Sleep deprivation was a crime. He sulked as he went into the dining hall. The place was three times the size of his room and there was a long table in the centre and chairs were neatly arranged. There was bread, honey, jam, butter and a glass of steaming tea placed at Kenji's seat. He let out a little grin and eyed the food just like a little kid would've eyed a jar of cookies.'_My favourite!' _

Suddenly a lady burst into _the room_ (I guess you could call it that). She was wearing a red night dress over which she wore a reddish pink shawl. Her brown hair was tied in a messy bun and she looked a bit tired, but she still had on a beautiful smile which was as bright as the sunlight pouring in through the windows.

"Good Morning Kenny! Oh, how I missed you," she exclaimed coming towards Kenji with open arms. He turned to look at her and gave a smile.

"Mother…you're back! So how was your trip?" he asked, getting up to hug her.

"Oh! Ireland is just marvellous this time of year. Oh, you must come with me next time, Kenny."

Kenji smiled. "So when's dad coming?"

"Oh…he'll…. be here….. soon enough," she said, rather stiffly.

He chuckled. "What is it now?"

"Don't you laugh. He just loves doing it, doesn't he? I keep telling him to stop taking away my baked cookies. Especially when I'm baking them for others and this time he really did it. Four whole batches!" she exlaimed, huffing.

"It's just his way of showing how much he misses you."

"Hmph."

Kenji laughed. "Well…I have to go, I'll see you."

Hiroshi Sayaka sighed. "I'll see you, honey. Have a nice day!

oooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane and Chiako climbed the stairs, discussing their History projects.

Ayane sighed. "I've still got the front page to finish and I have to get a few papers from Eiji," she gave Chiako a glare, "I don't get it. How come _he_ gets you as his partner?"

Chiako giggled. "Tutut. Now, now..there's plenty of me to go around. Besides, I thought you'd be glad to have Eiji-kun as your partner…" she let out a sly grin.

Ayane blushed. "I-it's not like that! I just….y-you know what I meant."

Chiako laughed. "Alright, alright. I've had my fun."  
"Anyway, this Kenji guy. Tell me more about him."

Ayane frowned slightly. "Well…I don't really know him but from what I saw I guess he's an ace player in the basketball team. Other than that, I also know that he's a pig head."

"Why do you say that?" Chiako asked, amused.

Ayane snorted. "He was so full himself. He acted like he was the king of the courts just 'cause he made a free-throw. Wel-"

She stopped midway and stared ahead. Chiako, puzzled by this, glanced in her direction as well. There standing before them in all his princely glory was (three guesses who..) Hiroshi Kenji. Behind him stood a horde of blood thirs- umm…..girls.

'_Speak of the devil!' _Ayane thought and groaned inwardly for the drama that was about to ensue. Kenji stepped forward and held out a bouquet of orange roses and white lillies. He kneeled before Ayane and took her hand and gently kissed it. Here the girls screamed, fainted and fell in a heap, one on top of the other. Kenji, however, seemed not to notice and continued.

"Ayane-chan, are you alright now? I hope you'll accept theses flowers as an apology for my team mate's utter carelessness!"

Ayane and Chiako sweatdropped. "Ummm I-"

She was cut short again as she found herself being squeezed tightly. Eiji stepped back, grinning. "Nya! It's great to see you Aya-chan. How are you?"

Ayane felt her cheeks turn red. "Um…yeah. I'm fine now," she said and then looked at him, worried. "Did you get into trouble for skipping tennis practice?"

"Nya! It's okay. Tezuka made me run 30 laps around the courts. It was a lot less than I'd expected." Eiji said, smiling.

"That's good…I guess.." Ayane continued t gaze at Eiji, her expression unreadable.

Chaiko coughed.

"A-ah…we should get to class," said Ayane, startled out of her trance. The three walked off, leaving behing a certain someone and a heap of girls.

Kenji blinked. It took him a few more minutes to realize what had happended. _'Darn! He's always getting in my way but he's not gonna get away with it. Oh no. I'm not going down without a fight!'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Aiko sensei wrote down another sentence on the board and asked someone to come up and write the answer. Chiako stifled a yawn and turned another page. She supported her head on her elbow and stared out the window. She thought about what had happened that morning and chuckled. Then she remembered that weird look she'd seen in Ayane'e eyes as she stared into Eiji's. She frowned in thought but atlast gave it up. '_Anyway, this __Kenji__ guy is interesting…but I get the feeling I'__ve__ seen him before…'_

"Atsuki-san."

Chiako flinched. _'Great! She looks at me right when I look out the window.'_She slowly stood up and was about to ask which question she was to answer when she noticed that someone was already writing an answer on the board. Puzzled, she turned to look at a her sensei, who motioned her to the door.

"Your mother is here to see you," she said.

Chiako stiffened and gave a curt nod. Then she slowly walked out of the class and made her way downstairs. When she finally reached the sitting area, she found a slender woman, who was dressed in a plain white blouse and black skirt, seated gracefully on the couch. Although she was dressed so plainly, she held herself in such a way that it made it seem elegant. Her dark brown eyes were sharp and her lips were drawn in a thin line. Her long brown hair was held in a bun by a beautiful flower hairpin but a few stray strands hung loosely and framed her face. As she saw Chiako come closer she smiled lightly.

"Hello, Chiako."

Chiako walked past her wordlessly and headed straight to a sleek, black car that was parked in front of the gates. The woman on the couch got up with a sigh and walked to the car as well. After they'd entered the car, it started and drove off.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane opened the door to the rooftop smiling but was surprised to find herself greeted with silence. _'Maybe she's late…..'._

Ayane waited but no one showed up. She finally decided to eat when she saw that break was about to end. She got up sighing, she slowly packed her lunch and then made her way back to class. As she walked along the corridors pondering on why Chiako hadn't come, she collided with someone who was carrying books in his hands.

Seito quickly bent down and picked up Ayane's bento and gave it to her.

"Thanks. I'm sorry for bumping into you like that. Here, let me help you with your books."

Ayane picked up another book and handed it back to the boy. "Thank you."

A thought suddenly struck her. "Hey, Toshiru-san, have you seen Chaiko-chan?"

He looked up and then adjusted his books. "I'm not really sure but I thought I saw her get into a car; followed by a lady, during the fourth period. But I could've imagined it."

Ayane frowned. _'Got into a car? Why? Where did she go to? Who was with her?'_All these questions whirled in her head. Ayane shook her head and then said, "Thanks. Well, I'll see you." Seito nodded back. Ayane proceeded to her classes. He stared out the window and remembered the black car and, somehow, the thought that Chiako had entered it, worried him. He stared out the window for a while and finally made his way to class as well.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

A group of dark figures huddled together in the abandoned club room. A girl quietly slid the door open. One of the girls in the centre lifted her head to look at the newcomer and gave a dark grin, seeing her.

"Hey, Satsuki. Nice of you to join our little party."

The said girl smirked. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. So what are we gonna do about that b*tch?"

"Oh, it's gonna be sweet. After we're done with her, she'll think twice before trying to get close to Kenji-sama." The room echoed with her evil cackle.

"Or to Eiji-san," said Satsuki, joining in the cackling.

"Alright girls, here's the plan…"

**

* * *

**

Woah! **This ****chappie**** was a killer . . I thought I'd never finish it. Well, actually I was planning on putting in more but then I changed my mind. I'm so sorry I to****ok**** so long to update! Please don't stop reading….T.T….School has been holding me prisoner. I'll definitely try and update faster. I'd lo****ve**** to hear your comments about this chapter.**

**Personally, I found this chapter not so satisfactory as the last one and I read it over so many times that I finally got sick of it. However I must say I was proud that I'd been able to put in more descriptions. I'm sorry but I had to use a bit of language to express how the *cough* girls were like. **

**Anywayz….please read and review!**


	8. Pain

Hey guys…..hope you liked the last chapter. Wow…I passed ten reviews…T.T I'm so happy….Thank you so much for your reviews Coco-chan, Yuzuru-chan and Salty-chan! Thanks to those who alerted and favourited as well, I'm glad to know that you're reading. Well….here we go….

Taka: Umm…..ai-chan doesn't own P-pri-

ai-chan: Ummm…^_^|| Taka-kun you could put a little more power to that.

(Fuji jumps outta nowhere and hands over a racket)

Taka:** WHOA BURNING! NOWAY DOES AI-CHAN OWN THE PRIIINCE OF TEEENNIS!**

ai-chan: (flinches)…the pain….(sigh) Well…I asked for it…T.T

_

* * *

_

__

Dedicated to:

_Ganzyyy  
LuCky-StAr69  
Sergeant Salt's Shaker Beat  
__Yuzuru Renge  
Coco96  
Lorna Roxen  
Kris 77_

* * *

_"Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than remember me and cry."_

Chapter 8: Pain

Atsuki Chiako looked out of the window and watched as the rain fell on the earth and settled gracefully on leaves and petals. She traced her finger along with the drops as they slid down the glass pane. Her gaze suddenly shifted to the old grandfather clock, which stood in the corner in all its grandeur, as it chimed three times, indicating that it was three in the afternoon.

She sighed and sat down on the couch, thinking about the conversation in the car.

**Two hours ago**

_The car was filled with an awkward silence as it sped on through the clear road. The sky, however, in contrast to this, was dark, with its looming clouds. _

"_Your grandfather's coming." the lady said, calmly. Chiako looked at her from the corner of her eyes. "I see."_

"_I'll be leaving for the airport to pick him up. In the meantime, you should prepare yourself for his arrival. Also, see to it that everything is in proper order."_

"_I will."_

_The lady turned to look at her. She said, "You'll have to discuss things with him and you'll have to decide what to do. You can't run away from it forever."_

_Chaiko's face hardened. "I realize that, thank you."_

"_You're getting quite good at this mock politeness, aren't you?"_

_Chiako faced her and smirked. "Why, is it bothering you?"_

_The lady's expression was unreadable as she looked ahead once more._

"_I'm only trying to help you, Chaiko. I wish you'd understand that."_

**Present**

Chiako stared down at her clasped hands. She bit her lip in frustration. Why? Why was all this happening now? When she'd finally gotten everything she'd ever wanted. It just wasn't fair. Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. _'Then again, life is never fair, is it?'_

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane looked at her watch. 4:30. Good, she could still catch Eiji before he left. She quickly walked out of the library and sped towards the tennis courts. As she neared them she could hear the rhythmic sound of tennis balls being hit back and forth.

'_Whoa! These courts are huge. How the heck am I going to find Eiji?' _She looked around and spotted a seventh grader who was carrying a box full of tennis balls. She jogged up to him and asked, "Excuse me, but do you know where I can find the Regulars?" The boy looked at her, exasperated.

Ayane guessed what might have been running through his head and flinched. "They're at the other end. Although, I don't think you'd be able to make it through_ the barrier_." With that said, he walked off.

'_Barrier?'_. Ayane called out a thank you and proceeded in the direction in which the boy had indicated.

"KYAA! That shot was so awesome! You're the best Fuji-sama!"

'_Oh!That barrier…..'._ Ayane sighed and rolled her eyes.

The horde of Fuji fan girls waved their banners and little flags. Just then, another girl shouted at them, "What do you mean "Fuji-sama is the best"? Hah! I bet Tezuka-sama could beat him any day," she turned toward her 'fan mates', "Isn't that right, girls?"

"KYAA!"

Ayane stared at the scene before her in disbelief. Wow! How did the Regulars ever survive with these crazy girls after them all the time? She quietly slipped past them as they pulled at each other's hair and legs. She sighed in relief as she walked towards the other courts where the fans seemed to be much more peaceful. As she walked about aimlessly, looking for Eiji she bumped into someone. She immediately blurted out an apology, "I'm so sorry!" She bowed.

The boy rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. Please don't apologize. It was my fault as well for bumping into you."

Ayane looked up to see a boy with light brown hair and a kind face. She smiled. "Hi…My name is Shizuno Ayane. It's nice to meet you."

The boy smiled as well and said, "My name is Kawamura Takashi. It's nice to meet you, Shizuno-san."

Ayane frowned in thought, sounds so familiar….Suddenly her face lit up with recognition, "You're Taka-san from the tennis team. Eiji-kun's told me about you. I'm in his homeroom class." _'I think Eiji was lying. This guy looks like he wouldn't even hit a fly.'_

Taka's face seemed to turn red, Ayane noticed and she wondered why, as he said, "O-oh."

"Ne, Taka-san, could you tell me where I can find Eiji-kun?"

"S-sure. He's playing with Kaidoh-kun in Court D."

Ayane blinked. "Where's that?"

Taka smiled. "I-I'll show you the way."

oooooooooooooooooo

"Fshshshsh…"

"Nya, Kai-chan, you need to stop frowning so much. You'll get wrinkles."

"Fshsh…Just serve the ball, senpai."

"Nya…okay, okay! No need to get so jumpy."

Eiji grinned as he threw the ball into the air and hit it towards Kaidoh's side of the court. Kaidoh smacked it back with ease. Eiji ran forward and returned the ball with a volley. He looked up grinning but that soon vanished as he saw Kaidoh reach the ball, as quick as lightning. He paled as he saw Kaidoh's grip on his racket tighten and the next second the ball had spun around the net and landed on Eiji's side of the court with a thud and then bounced off.

Eiji pouted. _'Nya….the Boomerang is hard to return….'_ Eiji sighed and shivered as he felt a chill down his spine. He slowly turned to look at the figure standing outside the court. A pair of glasses glinted evilly as the figure grinned.

Eiji gulped. _'If I keep this up, I'll have to drink….__**it**__".' _He almost blanched. Oh no. No way was he gonna drink that poison. He was too young to die...That's it, this was a battle for survival which he couldn't afford to lose.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane followed Taka and soon found herself standing next to a tall guy with spectacles. Her neck started to ache as she had to crane it just to look at his face. The boy looked down at her through his glasses which hid his eyes, giving him a mysterious appearance. Ayane was taken aback by how intimidated she felt by his height and….his.. aura, altogether.

Ayane sweat dropped as she said, "U-um….H-hello, m-my name is Shizuno Ayane. Nice to meet you."

She waved her hand limply and waited for a reply. She finally gave up when he said nothing even after three minutes. However, she was curious to know what he was reading from the book in his hand….maybe just a peek..

Ayane almost jumped a mile when he spoke suddenly, "Shizuno Ayane. Class 3-B. Transfer student from the United States.  
Excels in: English and Biology.  
Hobbies: Drawing and Reading.  
Hates: History and Geography.  
Member of the Arts Club.  
Close Friends: Kikumaru Eiji, Fuji Syusuke and Atsuki Chiako.

Has a very bad sense of direction, tends to knock things down or bump into people a lot. Likes playing basketball or watching basketball games. Decent artist."

He looked up from his notebook and his glasses shined as he said, "Also rumoured to be Eiji's -". Inui's glasses glinted.

"Whao! You're Eiji-senpai's girlfriend?" Momo shouted, coming out of nowhere.

"Nya-" Thump!

Everyone's eyes, except Ayane's, turned towards Eiji who was lying on the ground like a corpse. A tennis ball rolled from his hand. Kaidoh's face was frozen in shock. He recovered quickly though and moved towards Eiji.

"Fshshsh….Eiji-senpai?" No response. "Eji-senp-"

He was cut across by the sound of a crash against the fence. Everyone's attention turned towards Ayane, who was holding on to the fence for support. Taka looked at her, concerned. "Are you okay, Shizuno-san?"

"I-I'm h-his w-what?"

"Oops. Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't have said that out so loud," said Momo, sheepishly, scratching his head.

Ayane looked like she was about to faint. She repeated, "H-his w-what?"

Inui started, "His girl-"

Eiji shot up like a rocket and turned wildly to look at the group standing there. His face turned red as he shouted, "Nya? She's my what?"

Inui's brow twitched. He took a deep breath and said quickly, " Hisgirlfriend."

Ayane blinked. Once. Twice. Then, her face turned crimson and steam seemed to come out of her ears. "Y-y-you've got this all wrong! I-I-I'm j-j-just his friend!"

Eiji nodded his head vigorously. "Nya! That's right. Aya-chan and I are friends."

Momo grinned. "Yeah…that's what they all say," he turned towards Eiji and said, "Wow, Eiji-senpai, she's so pretty."

Kaidoh blushed. "You dumb Peach-Head! Don't just blurt out things like that."

Momo glared at Kaidoh, "You pickin' a fight Mamushi?"

"Fshshshsh!"

They glowered at each other so menacingly that they would've put Snape's death glare to shame.(AN: HP fan XD)

"Stop it you guys!"

Everyone, stunned, turned towards the voice. Oishi Syuichiroh panted as he slowly stepped forward. He looked at Momo and Kaidoh and said sternly, "That's enough, both of you. We've got enough confusion over here."

He shifted his gaze towards Ayane. "I'm sorry for all the trouble my team mates have caused. This is all just a big misunderstanding."

He looked at Inui now. "Inui, why did you say something like that when you already knew it wasn't true? I heard you talking about it with Fuji yesterday."

Inui grinned. "I was just collecting data….." He took out his pen and started scribbling furiously.

"Wait a minute! Nya! Fujiko was in on this?"

"Oh well, looks like the cat's out of the bag," said Fuji, smiling, as always and appeared behind Eiji.

"N-nya! You scared me Fujiko!"

Fuji chuckled. Eiji looked at him accusingly, "Nya! I can't believe you sided with Inui, Fujiko!"

"Oh! But it was Chiako-san who gave me the idea in the first place. Although, she didn't know it."

'_Chiako-chan?'_

Ayane was starting to feel light headed and her heart was beating so hard she thought it was going to jump out.

"What are you all doing?"

Everyone stiffened at the sound of the voice and they slowly turned around to face (gulp) their captain.

Tezuka looked at them sternly. "All of you 20 laps round the courts, now!"

"Yes, buchou!"

The Regulars ran like their life depended on it. Ayane stood there awkwardly.

'_I guess I now know why Taka-san got so flustered back there. Oh man, this is such a mess! Kami-sama….help me!'_

oooooooooooooooooo

Ayane dried her hair with a towel and sat down on her bed. As she continued rubbing, she thought about her crazy evening. To think it was all because Chiako had said that one thing about her being in the nurse's office. Well, the rest of the evening had been full of constant explantions and ultimately, in spite of all her protests, Momo still refused to believe her.

She sighed. _'Why me?'_

Soon her thoughts drifted to Chiako. Ayane couldn't help but worry about what had happened to her. Finally, deciding that dwelling on the matter was of no use, she got up from the bed and pulled out a chair and sat down to complete their History project but however much she tried to concentrate her thoughts kept drifting to a conversation with Eiji, about which flavour ice-cream was the best, as they'd walked home together last week.

The corners of her mouth lifted upward. Then she sighed heavily. _'Should I just let this happen? Is that the best thing to do?'_

oooooooooooooooooooo

The sunlight poured in through the window and fell on a red haired lump that was curled up on the bed. Her breath came out evenly indicating how fast asleep she was.

_She ran and ran, desperately trying to escape something but she wasn't sure what it was. She knew one thing though; the pain she could feel in her heart was that of sadness and loneliness. She stopped running and sank down under the shade of a cherry tree, resting her back against the tree trunk. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. _

"_Oi, Aya-chan, what are you doing over there?"_

_Her heart almost stopped at the voice._

"_Ne, Aya-chan?" _

"_Aya-chan?"_

"_Ay-"_

"-ane!" called a strained voice from downstairs. "Wake up already!"

Ayane groaned and stretched her arms, as she yawned. "I'm up, mom!" she shouted back. She scowled, getting up from her bed.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The school was filled with an eerie silence. Morning practice had ended earlier than usual as Coach Ryuzaki had to go somewhere urgently. The corridors echoed with the sound of footsteps.

Fuji slid open the door to the empty classroom and made his way towards his seat. As he didn't have anything to do in particular, he fell to staring out of the window. He smiled as he thought about the fun they'd had, taunting Eiji this morning, and seeing Oishi trying to stop them, in vain. Tezuka seemed to be exhausted from having dealt with the 'fangirl war' that had taken place yesterday. So he could say that it had been a very pleasant morning, after all he was a sadist. Fuji chuckled.

He was also very pleased with the results he'd received from his little _experiment_ yesterday and it was better than he'd thought. He knew there was some hidden secret in Ayane's eyes from the first time they'd met. He wasn't called the 'Tensai' for nothing. But he still had a few things to find out. He'd have to have another talk with Inui.

He sighed, sitting alone in class wasn't fun. He got up from his seat and went towards the window.

The grounds were almost empty save a few kids who were playing baseball. The cherry tree next to the tennis courts looked bare without its usual splendour of sakura flowers. Students were starting to arrive now.

Fuji's attention was drawn towards a figure that quickly ran towards the club rooms. He frowned slightly. "Hmm...I wonder what she's doing here so early," he muttered under his breath. He turned towards the door and having shut it behind him, made his way towards the Physics Lab.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Eiji breathed in the sweet smell of the beautiful, brown delicacy he held in his hand. He bit into it happily and turned to his doubles partner who was busy discussing about the Kantou Tournament with Tezuka.

"I think we should consult Ryuzaki-sensei about it as well," said Oishi. Then facing Eiji he said, "We have to put more into our practices, the matches are next week. We can't slack off."

Eiji pouted. "Nya! Momo-chan shtarted it. It washn't me."

Oishi sighed. "Right."

"Nya! I can't bellieve you're shiding witch him, Oishi. That brat wash ashkin' for it! And then they all began to ambush me witch all thosh questionsh, shpecially Fujiko! Then Inui got really shcary-", Eiji swallowed, "-and did you see that aura around him? Nya! He might be possessed by aliens from Jupiter like in _Space Station_." He shuddered.

Oishi sweat dropped at his friend's exaggeration.

"That's no excuse Kikumaru."

Eiji sulked as he got up. "Nya…I'll see you guys later."

oooooooooooooooooo

Ayane dropped onto her seat with a huff. 8:25. Wow. Too close for comfort. She sighed and looked towards Chiako's place, only to find it empty.

Ayane was alarmed. _'Chiako-chan didn't come today. Is she okay?Maybe I should've called…but…' _Ayane flinched as she remembered the last time she'd called.

"_**Why can't she just do it?"**_

'_That voice was really scary…But…I-…she…' _She groaned in frustration and rubbed her head, messing up her loose locks of hair. She didn't get to think further about it as their teacher walked into class.

Throughout the lesson Ayane remained disturbed and she hardly paid any attention to what their sensei was saying. She nearly jumped when Aiko sensei called her name.

"Y-yes sensei?"

"Could you please elaborate on that last quote?"

"U-um..the….fifth one?"

"Yes."

Ayane gulped and read the quote out loud.

With every line she read her heart almost dropped. She slowly placed her book on the table and looked up at her teacher as she said, "Well….it means that…. the person would want his loved one to forget him rather than cry remembering him… because, he doesn't want to see her in pain thinking about him. He is willing to sacrifice that for her happiness."

Aiko sensei smiled. "Well done, Shizuno-san. Sit down and please pay attention."

Ayane sweat dropped as she sat down. _'Busted…'_ She read the quote once more before she turned the page to read the passage. Her heart felt like lead as she thought about the words. She shook her head as though trying to get the words out of her head. _'No...no...no...CONCENTRATE!' _

oooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane almost cheered as bell rang, signalling the end of fourth period. Gathering her books, she made her way to the rooftops. As she climbed the stairs, Ayane thought about what was left to be completed in their History project.

'_I have to write the conclusion and then stick those pictures Eiji gave me yesterday. I have to write the contents too….' _

Opening the door, Ayane stepped out and smiled as a light breeze kissed her face. Looking up at the sky she noticed the grey clouds in the distance. She frowned. _'Summer rains…darn. I'll have to get back early…' _She sat down and opened her bentou. Ayane stared at the empty space where Chiako would've been sitting. She quietly bit into her onigiri as she thought about whether she should call Chiako.

'_She's my friend and if I'm a good friend I should find out if she's alright. So it's decided…I'm calling her!' _

Ayane smiled to herself as she thought out how she'd finish the project.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Eiji leaped from the branch he'd been sleeping on and landed gracefully, just like a cat. He'd successfully escaped from meeting any of his devious team mates. Pulling out a candy from his pocket, he walked into the school.

'_Nya! It's so boring, not playing tennis….maybe I can go tease Oishi for a while...wait, what? NO! Focus Eiji….you are mad at him! You will not talk to him!' _

Popping the sweet into his mouth, Eiji lazily walked past the library and turned the corner. To his surprise he found a certain red haired girl walking right in front of him. Eiji suppressed a snigger…this was going to be fun. He quietly or in his mind, stealthily, followed Ayane and ….observed her.

_**Inner conscience: 'What are you doing?'**_

'_Well…Nya…I'm…um…collecting data.'_

'_**Really? And since when did you become a poison concocting, scary scribbling, geeky spectacled Data Man?**_

'_Nya...well…I…Alright fine! I'm bored and stalk- I'm mean…observing Aya-chan's fun! Besides…who knows what dangers lie in store for her, personally I'm just looking out for her.'_

'_**Oh really? Well…you keep believing that. Don't think I'm leaving….I've got my eyes on you…'**_

Eiji wanted to just stick his tongue out but of course, he couldn't…well, actually he could but people would think he was a weirdo. So after his inner turmoil, Agent Eiji once again resumed his mission to protect Aya-chan from unearthly dangers.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Ayane stopped in her tracks and looked around wildly. The corridor was empty but she couldn't help feeling that someone was following her. _'Wow…I must be going crazy. This project's going to my head…the sooner I finish it, the better.'_

As Ayane chided herself for her crazy imagination, she heard someone calling out to her. She spotted a girl a little ahead and even as she looked, the black haired girl made her way over. Stopping in front of Ayane, she said, "Hey, could you help me out? Kanazawa-sensei asked me if I could take a bunch of footballs to his staffroom but Yoshina-sensei called me just now so could you take it over instead?"

"Umm….I'm not too sur-"

"Oh please! I really have to go and I can't find anyone else."

Ayane looked uneasily at the girl's pleading eyes. Finally she said, "Ok. I'll do it. Kanazawa-sensei's staffroom is on the second floor, right?"

The girl nodded, beaming. "Thank you so much!" And with that she waved and sped off.

Ayane nearly smacked herself. Great, just what she needed. _'No no…don't be negative. You can do this, just think clearly. You know where the store house is. You can do this. That's right…you can do this!'_

**Fifteen minutes later…**

'_Ok..I can't do this!'_ Ayane looked around her in panic.

'_Oh gosh! Where the heck am I?'_ Ayane gripped her hands tightly and tried to calm herself down but the ghastly silence in the halls was making her feel edgy. _'Come on…calm down, calm down, calm dow-'_

"Nya-"

"AAAAAAAH!"

Eiji cringed. Ok, that was a bad idea. "Nya, Aya-chan, it's just me."

Ayane looked at him with bulging eyes and she was breathing heavily. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with such fury that Eiji took a step back. Ayane looked at him menacingly and muttered, "E-i-JI!"

Eiji gulped and then, sweat dropped. "Nya…I- I'm sor-"

"I SHOULD KILL YOU! YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

Eiji smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry, nya. I didn't mean to…I mean…well..I didn't think you'd get so scared…"

"WELL OF COURSE I WOULD!"

Ayane continued to glare at Eiji but she seemed to have calmed down. She bent down to pick up her bag, which she'd dropped. Sighing, she asked, "What are you doing here anyway?"

Tying his hands behind his head, Eiji said, "Nya, I was just following Aya-cha-"  
Eiji stopped midway, realising his mistake. Too late.

Ayane's brow twitched. "You were doing what?"

"N-nya, I was just having a little fun. I'm sorry!" Eiji braced himself for her outburst. He was surprised , however, when she just sighed.

"Well, at least now I'm not alone."

Seeing as everything was alright, Eiji asked, "Nya, I thought you'd be going to the storehouse, so what are you doing in front of the music room?"

Ayane continued walking as Eiji looked at her expectantly. Her brows twitched.

"Aya-chan?"

Her vein popped. _'Control…..Don't massacre him…'_

"Aya-chan?"

"I GOT LOST, OK?"

Ayane fumed. After a few minutes of silence, the halls echoed with Eiji's hysterical laughter.

"N-nyahaha….I can't bel-..hahaha….you…haha…I'm sor-ahaha…I can't sto-ohahaha…." Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he held his hands over his stomach, trying to calm himself.

"Kikumaru Eiji, unless you want to spend the next few months in a hospital wing, I suggest you stop laughing right now!" Ayane said, icily.

Much to Ayane's frustration, this had no effect on him. "Ei-ji…"  
"No..no…haha, I'll stop…haha…realllly…haha.."

"You're dead."

Eiji started running, still laughing like a madman, followed by Ayane, who looked like she was out for blood. Not that she was a vampire or anything. Anywho, the blood chase continued as Agent Kikumaru ran for his life.

After what seemed like the longest ten minutes they stopped, panting, in front of….the Destination, a.k.a, the storehouse. Ayane looked up and realized where they were. Eiji stood upright, grinning.

"Nya, here we are Aya-chan."

Ayane glared at him. Catching her breath, Ayane opened the door to the storehouse and took a step in. Suddenly she stopped. Smiling lightly, she turned back and said, "Ne, Eiji-kun, could you help me again?"

Seeing her smile, Eiji held up a victory sign and said, "Sure."

Stepping inside, they looked around. The storehouse was dusty and dimly lit. There were a lot of cupboards to their left and some shelves on their right. A whole stack of boxes sat at the back, partly covered with a sheet that almost looked like a rug. A large broken cupboard was standing in the middle which now served as a stand for some javelins and some metal rods.

"Okay Eiji-kun, you take the right and I'll look over here."

As they searched for the pack of footballs, Ayane mentally thanked God for sending Eiji to help her. _'In fact, he's always helping me….I wouldn't have made it without him….'_

Closing another cupboard at the bottom, she was starting to get up when there a loud snap and the whole lot of rods came toppling down straight toward Ayane.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I'd watched a ton of movie where the heroine would just stand there like an idiot as danger fell upon her and all those times I'd felt like giving her a whack on the head and telling her, "Get a move on you bimbo." But right now, I could understand why it was so. No matter how much I wanted to move, I couldn't, I watched as they fell toward me and then I did the dumbest thing. I closed my eyes.

Suddenly I felt myself being pushed and then I was falling to the ground. I closed my eyes tighter as I waited for a painful impact with the cold stone floor. But it never came. I was lying on something soft. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself looking at a band aid. Eiji. My heart was beating like a drum and I started feeling light-headed as alarm shot through me. I moved slightly to get off of him.

"Aya-chan…"

His voice was strained. My brows pinched in worry but I replied, "I'm okay. Wait, let me get off of you."

I rolled to the side and slowly sat upright. I looked to my side to find that Eiji was trying to push himself up. "Eiji-kun, hey, don't exert yourself."

He looked up at me with his usual cat-like grin and said, "Nya…I'm okay!"

Yeah right. Rolling my eyes I took his arm to help him up. But as I lifted him I noticed that he flinched. Suddenly, the blood was draining from my face. No. No. No. No! He can't be. Oh please no. My hands went over my mouth and I couldn't stop the tears that were flooding my eyes. My voice was trembling as I said, "E-eiji-kun…y-you're hurt.."

My voice broke off with a shudder. No…no….no…Get a grip. Don't be hysterical. You have to help him. Help him. But my mouth wasn't listening. "Y-you're hurrt and it's all m-my fault. Oh God…..Oh God….." More tears fell.

Eiji looked at me, alarmed. "N-nya, Aya-chan, d-don't cry. It's no big deal. It's just a scratch."

I bit my lip. Calm down…calm down. I let out choked breaths. Taking in a gulp of air and wiping away the tears, I said mechanically, "Show me your arm."

"Nya…I-it's alright. I'm fine Aya-chan. You do-"

"Show me your arm." I said, raising my voice.

Reluctantly he put it out in front of me, saying, "Nya, it's not so bad. It just stings an-"

I shut his voice out and looked at his arm. The tears came back. And they slid down my cheeks as I looked at the long cut on his forearm, from which blood was streaming. What had I done! Eiji….I hurt him. I just wanted scream at myself.

Eiji started, "Nya..Aya-"

"We're going to the nurse's office." I said, shakily.

"What? No. Nya, I really am o-"

I looked into his eyes sternly. "We're going to the nurse's office."

Eiji gulped and nodded.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Nya….This was scary. I mean, I was practically being dragged and I was the faster one of the two of us. So that's saying something. Seeing Aya-chan cry like that made me feel really ….I don't know, different. I'd gotten myself hurt so many times I'd lost count and all those times Oishi, my mom or my sisters would go crazy. But even then, it didn't make me feel like this. I couldn't explain it but it was something about her face which made me feel that way.

Aya-chan almost knocked the door down trying to open it and started looking around for Mizuno-sensei, yeah, I'd come in here so many times I learnt her name and almost all the things you'd know about a friend. Nya, she's a really nice person. It's too bad kids don't take the time to talk to her for at least a few seconds. Anyway, Aya-chan flung me down on the bed and then disappeared. While she was gone, I thought back to what happened back at the storehouse. It was really strange that those poles just gave away suddenly.

I looked down at the cut, on my right arm, which started from my elbow and ended at my wrist. It wasn't very deep but I was bleeding a lot. I examined my elbow which looked like a red ping pong ball now. Nya, I was glad Aya-chan hadn't seen it or else she'd probably have had a fit. I sighed, hoping that it would heal soon. I couldn't afford to go play like this for the matches. Aya-chan suddenly appeared with a first aid kit in her hand. She was panting and sweating and her hair was all messed up. Her eyes looked red too. I felt that weird feeling again. She gave me a towel indicating my left hand which I'd placed over the wound to stop the blood from falling to the ground.

"Sensei's gone home sick, today."

Her voice was really raspy. I nodded stiffly, not knowing what I should say to make her feel better. Should I say something funny? Would that be insensitive? Kimi-nee chan always kept telling me that I was insensitive to situations. I gulped.

Aya-chan stuttered out, "I— well— can I?"

I didn't understand at first but then I understood that she wanted to treat my wound.

I smiled and said, "Sure."

She kept the box on a small table, next to the bed, and took out some antiseptic and cotton. With a cotton pad, she wiped away the blood that was still on my hands. Then she took the antiseptic and pressed another piece of cotton to it.

"This might sting a bit."

I nodded again.

Aya-chan kneeled in front of me and I put out my arm for her. She dabbed the cotton onto my arm ever so softly, like she thought that it would worsen the cut. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. She started at my elbow but then she suddenly stopped. I realised what was wrong in a few seconds and I flinched. Her glassy emerald eyes were boring into mine and even under those circumstances I felt my face turn red.

"Your elbow's hurt too."

I explained that it had hit the floor pretty hard when we'd fallen. To my surprise, she didn't say anything or shout at me like I expected her to. Instead she bent to look at my arm again and I couldn't see her eyes as her bangs hid them. However, the next moment my eyes went wide as I noticed the tears that fell on the ground.

"I'm sorry….I'm sorry…I'm so sorry...I-"

Her voice was died out.

In all my life, I'd never felt as helpless as I did then. I opened my mouth to say something but then I stopped when I saw that she seemed dazed. I frowned as I said, "Hey Aya-chan….are you okay?"

She gave a slight nod.

Aya-chan…

ooooooooooooooooooooo

I'd done it again. I'd hurt him. And once again he'd given me that reassuring smile, telling me it was okay. I hated myself…for being such an idiot. Always getting lost, always knocking things down, always hurting him….always….. always. The tears were flowing down my cheeks and I wiped them away furiously. I could hear Eiji saying something but it was all jumbled up to me. The only thing I could hear was the loud echoing of "Wipe the blood. Clean it up. Wipe the blood. Clean it up."

Why…why had I done it again? Why was it happening?

_Ayane pounded on the dirt with her fists. Her sobs were getting louder by the second. Her cheeks were tear stained and red from all the rubbing and so were her eyes. _

"_I'll…..I'll n-never get it back…I-I've lost it,"__ she wailed, "Daddy…D-daddy gave it to me and I-I've lost it….!"_

_Eiji looked as distressed as she was as he tried to sooth her._

"_Nya…it's okay, Aya-chan. We'll find it."_

"_But we already looked for it, everywhere."_

"_Not everywhere. It's got to be here somewhere."_

"_B-but…..it's starting to rain and now it'll get buried or….or….. washed away."_

_She held onto her bruised wrist and wailed. However, she stopped, when Eiji suddenly got up, his eyes burning with determination._

"_E-eiji-kun?"_

"_Don't worry. I'll find it," he said, looking straight into her eyes, "I promise."_

_With that he ran off. Ayane stopped crying but now panic rushed through her._

"_W-wait, Eiji-kun. I-I'm coming too."_

_She struggled on to her feet and followed him. She ran faster and faster, trying to catch up to him, but he'd gotten way ahead. It was getting hard to see now because the rain was pouring down harder. Ayane came to a stop in front of a forked path. She looked to her left and her right, frantically. __**'Which way? Which way? I noticed that I'd lost it at the park….Did he go there?'**__ Deciding that that was where he'd went, Ayane turned right and started running again._

_She looked around but she couldn't see anything or anyone. _

"_Eiji-kun!" she shouted. No reply came. "Eiji-kun?"_

_She walked again, calling out his name. Her tears mixed with the rain as it slid down her cheeks. "Eiji-kun!"_

_Her sobs seemed to drown out in the empty park but suddenly a faint voice called out, "Aya-chan?"_

_Ayane's face immediately lit up. "Eiji-kun!"_

_She ran towards the voice and a little later she spotted a figure next to a large tree, which she recognized as the one on which she and Eiji had played in the afternoon. Her face broke out into a smile as she saw him wave at her and give a thumbs up. She was running so fast the she tripped on the wet ground and fell, injuring her leg. She slowly pushed herself up, not minding the pain that she felt in her leg, because Eiji had found it, the hair pin which her Daddy had given her on her sixth birthday._

_When she got up Eiji was standing next to her looking concerned. _

"_Nya, Aya-chan….Are you okay?"_

_Ayane reassured him that she was fine. "So where is it?" she asked eagerly._

"_Nya, it's caught in the leaves of a branch. I think it fell there when we climbed down the tree," he said, "But, the thing is-"_

_He stopped abruptly, staring at the ground, frustrated. When Ayane turned to have a look at Eiji, she was shocked to see many bruises on his arms and legs. _

"_Eiji-kun….It's okay. L-let's just leave it. Please don't hurt yourself."_

_But Eiji refused to give up. He looked around for a long stick and started shaking the branch until finally something fell from it and landed with splash in a little stream of mud water which was streaming down the slope behind the tree. Eiji clenched his teeth in determination and dived to catch the pin before it went down but, the grass being slippery, made Eiji slide down as well. _

"_EIJI-KUN!"_

_Ayane limped to the slope and found that Eiji had rolled down all the way to the bottom. She looked on terrified as he lay there, motionless. Her whole body was shaking as she dropped to the ground, helplessly. "Eiji-kun…Eiji-kun….." she uttered, in a broken voice. Her head was drumming, her hands were ice cold and her vision was blurring as hot tears poured out from her eyes. "Please…. please….PLEASE…..save him….please….Eiji-kun…..Eiji-kun…."_

_If anything she just wanted to drop dead right then. Her head felt like lead and Ayane cloud see black spots now. _

"_Ayane's here!" a voice shouted from behind._

_The last thing Ayane felt was an arm snaking round her shoulders, lifting her up._

_ooooooooooooooooooooo_

_She groaned as the light fell right into her eyes, nearly blinding her. A dark figure loomed over her and asked in a concerned voice, "Aya…are you okay? Honey…."_

_Ayane slowly forced her eyes open to find that it was her mother sitting next to her on the bed. _

"_Where….am I?" she asked weakly._

"_We're at the hospital. No…no. Don't try to get up. You've got a high fever and the doctor says that you should take rest."_

"_Where's Eiji-kun?"_

"_He's in the next room. He had a lot of bruises on his body when we found him. He's got a high fever too."_

_Ayane was crying again. "It's all my fault, mom. He got hurt trying to get back my pin. It's all my fault….. E-eiji-kun's going to hate me now….It's my fault…"_

_Ayaka wiped away the tears from her daughter's face and said softly, "Sh…Don't cry, sweetie. Everything's going to be fine. You and Eiji-kun are best friends, so of course he won't hate you. Now get some rest."_

_Ayane shook her head. "I want to see him…."_

"_Aya….you can see him in a little while but right now you have to sleep, honey."_

"_No…..I want to see Eiji-kun."_

"_Aya…"_

"_Please mom! Please….."_

_Ayaka stared into her pleading eyes and finally with a sigh, she said, "Alright…"_

_She carefully picked up Ayane from the bed and took her to the next room. Eiji was lying on the bed, barely conscious. There was patch on his right cheek and several other cut on his face, arms and legs. Kikumaru Sayuri was sitting in a chair next to the bed. She got up and smiled at them. _

"_Is she alright now?"_

"_Better," Ayaka replied, returning the smile, "How's Eiji-kun?"_

"_He's alright. A high fever and lots of bruises but none too severe. Except for that one on his cheek, the doctor says that might leave a scar."_

_Ayane sniffled. Sayuri gave her a smile and said, "Oh don't cry Aya-chan. He'll be fine. Oh! I almost forgot. He's been holding on to a hairpin ever since we found him and he just won't give it to us. I think it's yours Aya-chan."_

_Ayane nodded, teary eyed._

_Approaching the bed, she called out softly, "Eiji-kun…."_

_Eiji shifted slightly. Ayane called him again and this time he turned to look at her._

"_Aya-chan," he said feebly, "I….I got it. So…you…don't have to cry anymore. Here." _

_He opened his little palm to reveal a beautiful pink sakura shaped hair pin. Ayane burst into another set of tears. "I'm sorry Eiji-kun….I'm so sorry…."_

"_N-nya…..I'm okay." he said, smiling_

Because of me, Eiji now had that band aid on his cheek. It was my fault. And now I'd given him this big cut and a swollen elbow, right before the Kantous too. Right then, I felt like the whole world was resting on my shoulders and my knees couldn't hold me up anymore. I almost fell but Eiji caught me by my shoulders. He shook me slightly and was saying something but my head was buzzing like crazy.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Oi! Aya-chan… Aya-chan….are you okay? Nya, say something…..Aya-chan!"

Ayane seemed to be coming out of her trance. She held on to Eiji's shirt for support. Eiji shifted his hold to her waist to steady her. Ayane blinked again and again, like she was waking up from a dream. Eiji's face was scrunched up in worry as he looked at her face.

"I…I…...I'm…. I'm so sorry," she mumbled.

"Nya, Aya-chan it's alright. It wasn't your fault at all. The poles just fell suddenly; you didn't do anything to cause that."

"But you got hurt trying to save me."

"That's okay. It doesn't matter as long as you're alright."

Ayane fell forward, resting her head on him. Eiji blushed heavily. He was startled, however, when he felt his shirt getting wet. _'Aya-chan….'_

For a moment Eiji was puzzled as to what he should do. But then he lifted his hand and stroked her hair gently, comforting her.

* * *

Wow! It's done…finally. Ok…now this was long. Atleast by my standards. Ok….you all must have gotten tired of waiting for my update but I assure I had a good reason. First off, this chapter was huge and at certain parts I had a bit of writer's block.

Second, school was hectic and I barely got time to read ff much alone type my story. It was like one freakin' exam after another. (shudders) Gives me nightmares just thinking about them.

I saw the first part of Deathly Hallows, which would explain the slight mention of Snape in this chapter..:D. I hope you enjoyed reading. I have mixed feelings about this chapter and I'm not sure if I made any improvement at all. T.T

PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you thought about it.

I've already started with the next chapter…so….I might post it soon…(sweat drop) Yeah…..my sister was telling me that I should keep deadlines. Anywho….please press that review button.


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